There have been many criticisms of the Brookings piece Bostonian posted.
I am open to the possibility that these additional services(including health clinics, discipline classes, classes for parents before the child is born) are not effective...this if of great interest to me, and I will continue to read up on it. BUT my overall impression from reading a good deal of work on this subject is that WELL-DONE birth-3 and preschool programs accomplish A LOT. They are CERTAINLY more cost-effective than programs later in life, and, need I point out, they cost a whole heck of a lot less than jail. Here is an abstract from a paper I recently read on this. Note how the annual return decreases as the kids get older. You have to start young, as in babies, as in expecting parents. I'm convinced.
Using data collected up to age 26 in the Chicago Longitudinal Study, this cost�benefit analysis of the Child-Parent Centers (CPC) is the first for a sustained publicly funded early intervention. The program provides services for low-income families beginning at age 3 in 20 school sites. Kindergarten and school-age services are provided up to age 9 (third grade). Findings from a complete cohort of over 1,400 program and comparison group participants indicated that the CPCs had economic benefits in 2007 dollars that exceeded costs. The preschool program provided a total return to society of $10.83 per dollar invested (18% annual return). The primary sources of benefits were increased earnings and tax revenues and averted criminal justice system costs. The school-age program had a societal return of $3.97 per dollar invested (10% annual return). The extended intervention program (4�6 years) had a societal return of $8.24 (18% annual return). Estimates were robust across a wide range of analyses including Monte Carlo simulations. Males, 1-year preschool participants, and children from higher risk families derived greater benefits. Findings provide strong evidence that sustained programs can contribute to well-being for individuals and society.
Paper is Age 26 Cost�Benefit Analysis of the Child-Parent Center Early Education Program, in the Jan/Feb 2011 issue of Child Development.
