Early Childhood Education

Sneha Elango, Jorge Luis Garcia (), James Heckman and Andres Hojman
Additional contact information
Sneha Elango: The University of Chicago
Andres Hojman: The University of Chicago

No 2015-017, Working Papers from Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group

Abstract: This paper organizes and synthesizes the literature on early childhood education and childcare. In it, we go beyond meta-analysis and reanalyze primary data sources in a common framework. We consider the evidence from means-tested demonstration programs, large-scale means-tested programs and universal programs without means testing. We discuss which programs are e ective and whether, and for which populations, these programs should be subsidized by governments. The evidence from high-quality demonstration programs targeted toward disadvantaged children shows bene cial e ects. Returns exceed costs, even accounting for the deadweight loss of collecting taxes. When proper policy counterfactuals are constructed, Head Start has bene cial e ects on disadvantaged children compared to home alternatives. Universal programs bene t disadvantaged children.

Keywords: early childhood education; childcare; evaluation of social programs (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C93 I28 J13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015-12
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-edu, nep-lab and nep-ure
Note: ECI
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (48)

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http://humcap.uchicago.edu/RePEc/hka/wpaper/Elango ... ldhood-education.pdf First version, December 2015 (application/pdf)

Related works:
Chapter: Early Childhood Education (2015)
Working Paper: Early Childhood Education (2015)
Working Paper: Early Childhood Education (2015)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hka:wpaper:2015-017

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