Quality preschool programs change lives FOREVER!
Invest in
quality early childhood development.
Professor James Heckman’s groundbreaking work with a consortium of economists, developmental psychologists, sociologists, statisticians and neuroscientists shows that quality early childhood development is essential for better education, health and economic outcomes. Investing in early childhood development changes the equation, creating widespread American prosperity through early skills building that prevents the achievement gap and promotes income equality through abilities and personal initiative. Those looking to create a better economic life for all Americans need to know four simple facts to build the human capital we need for economic success.
Learn more about poverty and early childhood development by registering and attending the conference: Cost of Poverty
Professor James Heckman’s groundbreaking work with a consortium of economists, developmental psychologists, sociologists, statisticians and neuroscientists shows that quality early childhood development is essential for better education, health and economic outcomes. Investing in early childhood development changes the equation, creating widespread American prosperity through early skills building that prevents the achievement gap and promotes income equality through abilities and personal initiative. Those looking to create a better economic life for all Americans need to know four simple facts to build the human capital we need for economic success.
Learn more about poverty and early childhood development by registering and attending the conference: Cost of Poverty
1 Intelligence and
social skills are developed at an early age — and both are essential for
success.
Many major economic and social problems in America — crime, teenage pregnancy, the high school dropout rate, adverse health conditions — can be traced to low levels of skills and social abilities such as attentiveness, persistence and the ability to work well with others.
These so-called “soft” social skills are neither soft nor unimportant. Professor Heckman has found hard evidence that these capabilities are essential ingredients for success in life. Life cycle skill formation is dynamic in nature. Skill begets skill; motivation begets motivation. In fact, the early development of effective social skills greatly influences the successful development of IQ and, ultimately, personal and social productivity.
2 Early investment produces the greatest returns in human capital.
Professor Heckman has found that early nurturing, learning experiences, and physical health from ages zero to five greatly impact success or failure in society. The most economically efficient time to develop skills and social abilities is in the very early years, when developmental support is most effective.
Today’s challenges are real — a record rate of high school dropouts, a lack of college graduates, increasing rates of obesity and chronic diseases, rising crime and a growing underclass. Professor Heckman’s work proves that prevention through early childhood development is more life- and cost-effective than remediation. It’s time to invest in upstream solutions for future generations while we continue to address today’s problems.
3 America’s advantage will come from helping the disadvantaged.
Professor Heckman shows that disadvantaged families are least likely to have the economic and social resources to provide the successful early developmental stimulation every child needs as a basic opportunity for future success in school, college, career and life. Poor health, high school dropouts, poverty, crime — America will continue to create costly economic and social burdens if it fails to provide disadvantaged families with the resources they need for effective early childhood development.
Providing developmental resources pays dividends for the disadvantaged child and society as a whole through better education, health and economic outcomes.
4 Quality economic returns come from quality investments in early childhood development.
Professor Heckman studied decades’ worth of data from early childhood development programs that gave disadvantaged children and their families’ developmental support.
This form of comprehensive early childhood development provides children and their families with the resources for early nurturing, learning experiences, and physical health that lead to future success, breaking the cycle of disadvantage.
Professor Heckman’s economic analysis of these programs reveals that investing in early childhood development for disadvantaged children provides a great return to society through increased personal achievement and social productivity.
Many major economic and social problems in America — crime, teenage pregnancy, the high school dropout rate, adverse health conditions — can be traced to low levels of skills and social abilities such as attentiveness, persistence and the ability to work well with others.
These so-called “soft” social skills are neither soft nor unimportant. Professor Heckman has found hard evidence that these capabilities are essential ingredients for success in life. Life cycle skill formation is dynamic in nature. Skill begets skill; motivation begets motivation. In fact, the early development of effective social skills greatly influences the successful development of IQ and, ultimately, personal and social productivity.
2 Early investment produces the greatest returns in human capital.
Professor Heckman has found that early nurturing, learning experiences, and physical health from ages zero to five greatly impact success or failure in society. The most economically efficient time to develop skills and social abilities is in the very early years, when developmental support is most effective.
Today’s challenges are real — a record rate of high school dropouts, a lack of college graduates, increasing rates of obesity and chronic diseases, rising crime and a growing underclass. Professor Heckman’s work proves that prevention through early childhood development is more life- and cost-effective than remediation. It’s time to invest in upstream solutions for future generations while we continue to address today’s problems.
3 America’s advantage will come from helping the disadvantaged.
Professor Heckman shows that disadvantaged families are least likely to have the economic and social resources to provide the successful early developmental stimulation every child needs as a basic opportunity for future success in school, college, career and life. Poor health, high school dropouts, poverty, crime — America will continue to create costly economic and social burdens if it fails to provide disadvantaged families with the resources they need for effective early childhood development.
Providing developmental resources pays dividends for the disadvantaged child and society as a whole through better education, health and economic outcomes.
4 Quality economic returns come from quality investments in early childhood development.
Professor Heckman studied decades’ worth of data from early childhood development programs that gave disadvantaged children and their families’ developmental support.
This form of comprehensive early childhood development provides children and their families with the resources for early nurturing, learning experiences, and physical health that lead to future success, breaking the cycle of disadvantage.
Professor Heckman’s economic analysis of these programs reveals that investing in early childhood development for disadvantaged children provides a great return to society through increased personal achievement and social productivity.