More Proof that Investing in Early Childhood Education Reaps Big Dividends

by: Suzanne Reisman

Thu Jul 29, 2010 at 09:51:00 AM EDT

Yesterday's New York Times included a story about a new study that showed that the effects of quality kindergarten classrooms led to $320,000 worth of value by the time the kids turned 30.  The benefits are not test scores, but actual life outcomes, such as higher earnings.  Why is that?  "Good early education can impart skills that last a lifetime — patience, discipline, manners, perseverance."

How unfortunate that many states are cutting budgets for early childhood education programs.  As usual, we are penny wise and pound foolish.

Investing in the Future

by: Suzanne Reisman

Wed Mar 10, 2010 at 14:39:27 PM EST

A few years ago, a colleague and I traveled down from New York to Washington, DC to talk to our elected officials about the critical need for child care facilities in our state. Our advocacy efforts were part of the work of National Children's Facilities Network (NCFN), a coalition of nonprofit financial and technical assistance intermediaries involved in planning, developing, and financing facilities for low-income child care and Head Start programs. Dave and I hoped to show them how investing in a federal child care facilities fund would positively impact the economy.

According to a report prepared by Cornell University, Investing in New York: An Economic Analysis of the Early Care and Education Sector, child care is vital to the economic success of New York state, where I work and live.  It directly generates 22,000 small businesses, employs 119,000 people (more people than the hotel and lodging industry), and generates $4.7 billion in revenue. By allowing over 750,000 parents to be part of the workforce, its indirect impact on the economy is enormous. Yet as a field, it receives far less in public investments than other business with equal or smaller impact, stymieing its full potential as an economic engine.