The Virginia Early Childhood Foundation is pleased to offer the research data published in these reports as solid evidence that high quality early care and education is a high-return investment that is right for our children and essential for our economic prosperity.
Economic Benefits
Investing in America's Children: The Business Case
The Partnership for America's Economic Success champions policy change for early childhood as the key to a strong future workforce.
The Heckman Equation
Dr. James Heckman is a Nobel Prize-winning economist and an expert in the economics of human development. He is also a champion for investing in early childhood education.
Visit his website to watch some short, informational videos.
Enriching Children, Enriching the Nation
Economist Robert G. Lynch examines the costs and benefits of high quality prekindergarten programs and their positive impact over time on federal and state budgets, crime, and the achievement and earnings of children and adults.
See how Virginia could benefit.Meeting the Workforce Needs of the Future
A study by the Society for Human Resource Management found that too often young people are entering the workforce unprepared. In order to produce a skilled, high-performance workforce, we must begin preparing children for the future.
Paying Later: The High Costs of Failing to Invest in Young Children
As states tackle difficult budget decisions, many children's programs are facing significant cuts. A new brief from the Partnerships for America's Economic Success discusses why such cuts result in much higher short- and long-term costs, due to an increased prevalence of child abuse and neglect, high school dropouts and criminal activity.
Ready, Set, Go! Why Business Should Support Early Childhood Education
A report from the Institute for a Competitive Workforce (ICW) sheds light on the tremendous impact that early childhood education has on the national economic security and the viability of the American dream. ICW attests that the investment and support on the part of American businesses is imperative to the success of the American workforce.
The Effects of Investing in Early Education on Economic Growth
The Brookings Institution analyzed the impact of a high-quality universal preschool policy on economic growth, concluding that such a policy could add $2 trillion to annual U.S. GDP by 2080.
Early Childhood Development: Economic Development with a High Public Return
This research from Art Rolnick and Rob Grunewald highlights, and even quantifies, the economic and social impact of investing in our youngest citizens.
High/Scope Perry Preschool Study
This longitudinal study found that adults at age 40, who had received preschooling had higher earnings, were more likely to hold a job, had committed fewer crimes, and were more likely to have graduated from high school than adults who did not have preschool.
National Security Benefits
Young Virginians: Ready, Willing and Unable to Serve
A report from Mission: Readiness explains that 75 percent of America’s young adults cannot join the military. The group of over 175 retired generals and admirals calls for improvements in early childhood to protect our national security.
From America’s Front Line Against Crime: Proven Investments in Kids
Fight Crime: Invest in Kids released a policy brief to explain how investments in kids will prevent crime and violence.
On the Home Front: Early Care and Education a Top Priority for Military Families
Based on a survey from the Pew Center on the States, early care and education is lacking for children in military families.
The State of Early Education
Kids Count Data Center
Kids Count and the Annie E. Casey Foundation collect statistics on child well-being, including poverty levels, SOL scores, the number of children beginning kindergarten unprepared and more. View at the state or community level.
NIEER 2010 Yearbook
The National Institute for Early Education Research released its annual report on state pre-k progress, which found that total state pre-k spending declined slightly for the 2009-2010 school year.
We Can Do Better: NACCRRA’s 2011 Ranking of State Child Care Center Regulation and Oversight
A new study from the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies reviewed child care regulation and oversight in 50 states, DC and the Department of Defense. While the Department of Defense got the highest ranking of any entity, the study uncovered some large gaps in child care regulation.
See how Virginia ranked.
If you would like to suggest a report for this page, please submit your suggestion to
info@vecf.org.
Back to top