Article Resources

"The Economics of Early Childhood Policy: What the Dismal Science Has to Say About Investing in Children" by M. Rebecca Kilburn and Lynn A. Karoly; a RAND report.

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 in 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. This paper summarizes the contributions from the field of economics, which has played an increasingly prominent role in recent 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 decision makers in the public and private sectors, service providers, and the public more generally.

The research described in this report was sponsored by Casey Family Programs and was conducted within RAND Labor and Population, a unit of the RAND Corporation. This publication is based on a literature review and synthesis that was funded and comanaged by Casey Family Programs.

To access the report, please click here.

"Applying a Long Term Investment Approach to Grantmaking—From Financial Futures to Baby Futures" By Richard Atlas; from Insight, a publication of the Grantmakers for Children, Youth and Families.

Grantmakers for Children, Youth and Families serves as a point of contact for grantmakers seeking collegial and collaborative relationships with other funders concerned with children, youth, and families. Insight is a periodic publication released by the Grantmakers for Children, Youth and Families that focuses on emerging and important topics for grantmakers. It provides an opportunity for grantmakers to further examine the grantmaking strategies presented and to identify promising innovation in the field. Read about our most recent Insight publications.

To access the Insight publication, please click here.
To access only the article, please click here.

"The Timing and Quality of Early Experiences Combine to Shape Brain Architecture" a publication from the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, and the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University

The foundations of brain architecture are established early in life through a continuous series of dynamic interactions in which environmental conditions and personal experiences have a significant impact on how genetic predispositions are expressed. Because specific experiences affect specific brain circuits during specific developmental stages—referred to as sensitive periods—it is vitally important to take advantage of these early opportunities in the developmental building process. That is to say, the quality of a child's early environment and the availability of appropriate experiences at the right stages of development are crucial in determining the strength or weakness of the brain's architecture, which, in turn, determines how well he or she will be able to think and to regulate emotions.

To learn more, please click here for the full paper.

"A Science-Based Framework for Early Childhood Policy—Using Evidence to Improve Outcomes in Learning, Behavior, and Health for Vulnerable Children" a publication from the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, and the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University

A ground-breaking framework for using evidence to improve outcomes in learning, behavior, and health for vulnerable children to provide an informed, nonpartisan, pragmatic framework to guide policymakers toward science-based policies that improve the lives of young children and benefit society as a whole.

To access the publication, please click here.

"The Science of Early Childhood Development: Closing the Gap Between What We Know and What We Do" a publication from the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, and the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University

A concise framework for understanding the science of early childhood and brain development as it relates to policies and programs that could make a significant difference in the lives of children—and all of society. Includes discussion of the 7 Core Concepts of Development and their implications for policy and practice.

To access the publication, please click here.

"Early Childhood Development on a Large Scale" by Rob Grunewald and Art Rolnick

This extremely incisive article underlines how academic research demonstrates that tax dollars spent on ECD provide extraordinary returns compared with investments in the public and private sector.

Rob Grunewald is the Regional Economic Analyst of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis and Art Rolnick is the Senior Vice President and Director of Research of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis

To access the article and other Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Early Childhood Development articles, please click the link below:
http://minneapolisfed.org/pubs/region/05-06/ecd.cfm

The page also offers access to "A Proposal for Achieving High Returns on Early Childhood Development"
http://minneapolisfed.org/research/studies/earlychild/draft_ecd_proposal.pdf
and more Early Childhood Development resources:
http://minneapolisfed.org/research/studies/earlychild/

"Invest in the Very Young" by James J. Heckman, Ph. D.

Published by the Ounce of Prevention Fund and the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy Studies, James J. Heckman's article "Invest in the Very Young" is a very pertinent articles on the economic impact of investing in early childhood education.

James J. Heckman, Ph. D. was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 2000, and currently serves as the Henry Schultz Distinguished Service Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago.

"The real question is how to use the available funds wisely. The best evidence supports the policy prescription: Invest in The Very Young."

To access the article, please click the link below:
http://www.ounceofprevention.org/downloads/publications/Heckman.pdf

"Studying and Tracking Early Child Development from a Health Perspective: A Review of Available Data Sources" a report from The Commonwealth Fund

Promoting young children's healthy development—including their social, emotional, intellectual, and physical well-being—is increasingly a focus of pediatric providers and child health policymakers. To aid their efforts, researchers at Child Trends have reviewed 26 national data sources on child development to inform the practitioner and policy communities.

The Commonwealth Fund-supported report, "Studying and Tracking Early Child Development from a Health Perspective: A Review of Available Data Sources", shows how national survey measure up in areas such as health, the receipt of health care, and socioemotional and intellectual development.

To access the report, please click here.