Early Childhood Education Programs

Janet Currie

Journal of Economic Perspectives, 2001, vol. 15, issue 2, 213-238

Abstract: This paper discusses early childhood education programs: their goals; effectiveness; optimal timing, targeting, and content; and costs and benefits. Early intervention has significant short- and medium-term benefits: most notably it reduces grade repetition and special education costs, and provides quality child care. The effects are greatest for more disadvantaged children. Some model programs have produced exciting improvements in educational attainment and earnings and have reduced welfare dependency and crime. The jury is still out on the long-term effects of Head Start, but Head Start would pay for itself if it produced a quarter of the long-term gains of model programs.

JEL-codes: I21 I22 I28 I38 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2001
Note: DOI: 10.1257/jep.15.2.213
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (309)

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