This article presents an overview of the human capital approach to human development and how it has been used for evaluating early education programs. It critiques the human capital approach by considering how its focus on measurable returns on economic investments limits an understanding of the full and complex contribution of early education to…

Children from low-income families are more likely than those from higher income families to have poor social, emotional, cognitive, behavioral, and health outcomes. One approach that has helped parents and their young children is home visiting, which provides information, resources, and support to expectant parents and families with young…

In 2010, Congress authorized the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program by enacting section 511 of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. § 711, which also appropriated funding for fiscal years 2010 through 2014. Subsequently enacted laws extended funding for the program through fiscal year 2022. The program is…

As part of The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the federal Head Start and Early Head Start programs received a significant increase in funding. Head Start is the longest-running program to address systemic poverty in the United States. It is also one of the most heavily researched programs in the nation. Still, debate continues…

This paper provides a framework for estimating the economic benefits of early child development (ECD) programs and applies the framework to preliminary data from the Bolivian ECD program (known as the PIDI Project). The evaluation quantifies the benefits of increased lifetime productivity as a result of ECD enrollment. The evaluation also takes…

Examined the effects of number of hours of early intervention services received by 72 disabled children on benefits received by children and their families. Found that hours of services received were not related to gains in child development levels. Suggests that increased services are not cost effective despite some benefits for mothers. (BCY)

The Developmental Program of the Chesapeake Public School Division (Virginia) is designed to provide a year between kindergarten and first grade for the academically able student who is not ready for the structure of the regular first grade because of physical, emotional, or social (developmental) immaturity. It is an all-day, full-year program…

This report, the first in a three-volume study evaluating federally-supported day care in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, contains a discussion of various issues related to the use of federal standards for day care services and presents four optional strategies for upgrading the quality of day care in the four states. Each strategy includes…

Reported are the recommendations resulting from a review of the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment Program (EPSDT). The concept of developmental assessment, as used in the EPSDT, is explained. The introduction provides a summary of the recommendations. Areas covered and for which recommendations are discussed include the role…

This report contains a partial summary of the findings and recommendations resulting from research of the Child Development Associate (CDA) Training Program performed by the National Planning Association (NPA). A brief overview of the following areas is presented: (1) demand and supply of trained personnel in child development programs; (2) issues…

This is an executive summary of the interim report on National Home Start Evaluation. Home Start, a federally-funded 3-year (1972-1975) home-based demonstration program for low-income families with 3- to 5-year-old children was designed to enhance a mother's skills in dealing with her own children and to provide comprehensive social-emotional,…

This paper reports on the findings of an evaluation of Project Giant Step, a program funded by New York City to provide comprehensive services to all 4-year-olds in the city, beginning with low-income children who are unserved by existing programs. Both the costs and effects of Project Giant Step are examined. Effects of the program on children…

This is a report on the first year of the Brookline Early Education Project (BEEP), a program that delivers both diagnostic and educational services to one hundred twenty-seven families who have had or expected to have babies in 1973. It has opened a parent resource center, trained a staff of individuals from different professions, worked to…

A system for evaluating and monitoring child development projects, with possible computerization capabilities, was developed for the State of Pennsylvania in connection with 26 child development projects funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission. The Ecological Monitoring Information System (EMIS), provides a series of ecological measurement…

This report assesses the progress of the six summative Home Start projects as evaluation families completed their first twelve months of enrollment. Home Start, a federally-funded 3-year (1972-1975) home-based demonstration program for low-income families with 3- to 5-year-old children was designed to enhance a mother's skills in dealing with her…