Should Ohio Invest in Universal Preschooling?
by Clive Belfield, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, 2005.
Ohio has almost 150,000 three-year old children; however, fewer than 41,000
are covered by publicly supported preschool programs, and the majority of
these are in special education or Head Start programs. Preschooling is associated with a number of positive outcomes, from higher test scores, graduation rates, and college progression to reductions in special education, grade repetition, and crime. One might wonder why it isn’t made available to every child.
The Economic Impact of the Early Care and Education Industry in Ohio
National Economic Development & Law Center, November 2004
The early care and education industry is integral to the vitality of Ohio’s economy. It:
-Generates $1.95 billion annually and provides almost 57,000 jobs
-Benefits all industries in the state by enabling parents to work productively outside the home and attend higher education programs to update their skills
-Lays the groundwork for Ohio’s future economic success by preparing future generations for success in school and in life, and by attracting business to Ohio’s skilled workforce
To benefit every Ohio resident, all early care and education industry stakeholders - businesses, government and the early care and education industry - must work and plan together to reach innovative solutions to the barriers that the industry and its consumers face.
PNC Study of Early Childhood Education Public Policy: Economy, Workforce, Funding
A Study by Harris Interactive for PNC, May 2007
– Findings Reveal Agreement Across Study Segments On The Importance Of Preschool Before Entering Kindergarten
– Most Business Executives Feel Children Are Ill-Prepared To Learn Upon Entering Kindergarten
– …Three Out Of 10 Believe Quality Of The New Generation Entering The Workforce Has Worsened
– Lower Income Parents Value The Importance Of Preschool More So Than Higher Income
– Parents And Teachers Strongly Support Government-Funded Preschool; Level Of Support Is High Across All Income Levels
Early Childhood Development: Economic Development with a High Public Return
by Art Rolnick and Rob Grunewald, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, 2003
Early childhood development programs are rarely portrayed as economic development initiatives, and we think that is a mistake. Such programs, if they
appear at all, are at the bottom of the economic development lists for state and local governments. They should be at the top. Most of the numerous projects and initiatives that state and local governments fund in the name of creating new private businesses and new jobs result in few public benefits.
In contrast, studies find that well-focused investments in early childhood development yield high public as well as private returns.
The Economics of Early Childhood Policy
by M. Rebecca Kilburn, Lynn A. Karoly, RAND Corporation and Casey Family Programs
Scientific discoveries over the past two decades have transformed the way in which researchers, policymakers, and the public think about early childhood. For example, recent research on brain science has provided a biological basis for prevailing theories about early child development,and cost-benefit analysis has reoriented some of the discussion about early childhood
toward prevention programs. Several recent reports have been particularly helpful in translating research findings into practical information that improves policy. Among these is a 2007 report by the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, the National Forum on Early Childhood Program Evaluation, and National Scientific Council on the Developing Child that integrates advances in neuroscience, developmental psychology, and program evaluation to develop a unified framework that provides evidence-based guidance for policymaking related to early childhood policy. In this paper, we summarize the contributions from another field—economics—that has played an increasingly prominent role in discussions about early childhood policy. The insights from economics also have broader implications for social programs
focused on prevention, especially during childhood, rather than later-in-life remediation.
This research will be of value to individuals who are interested in early childhood policy, including decisionmakers in the public and private sectors, service providers, and the public more generally.
