World-renowned economists have demonstrated that when parents and caregivers provide enriching environments for our youngest learners, the benefits far outweigh the cost.
Cost-benefit analysis conducted by Arthur Rolnick of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis shows that for every $1 invested in high-quality childhood programs, over $8 are returned to society, with a 16% internal rate of return.
The benefit returned to society comes in the form of reduced rates of crime, grade retention and special education placements, and increased high school graduation and adult earnings. Or, as stated by the Nobel-Prize-winning University of Chicago economist James Heckman, “the best evidence supports the policy prescription: invest in the very young.”
Research shows that low-income children often start school far behind their higher income peers, and that children who start school behind often fail to catch up. The Educare model works to reduce this equity gap by providing high-quality early childhood education and family support. It is a research-based model that builds on what works: reaching young children early, providing quality individualized care, offering intensive services and developing healthy relationships.
