Invest in Head Start Now… or Spend Later

Research shows Head Start and Early Head Start yield at least $7 for every $1 invested.

References

• Aikens, N., Bush, C., Gleason, P., Malone, L., and Tarullo, L. (2016). Tracking Quality in Head Start Classrooms: FACES 2006 to FACES 2014 Technical Report. OPRE Report 2016-95. Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
• Bauer, L., and Schanzenbach, D. (2016). The Long-Term Impact of the Head Start Program. The Hamilton Project, The Brookings Institution.
• Barr, A., Gibbs, C. (2022). Breaking the Cycle? Intergenerational Effects of an Antipoverty Program in Early Childhood. Journal of Political Economy, 130 (12): 3253–3285.
• Bitler, M., Domina, T., and Hoynes, H. (2014). “Experimental Evidence on Distributional Effects of Head Start.” NBER Working Paper. No. 20434.
• Feller, A., Grindal, T., Miratrix, L., and Page, L. C. (2016). Compared to what? Variation in the impacts of early childhood education by alternative care type. The Annals of Applied Statistics 10 (3), 1245–1285.
• Gelber, A. and Isen, A. (2013). “Children’s Schooling and Parents’ Investment in Children: Evidence from the Head Start Impact Study.” Journal of Public Economics 101.
• Harms, T., Clifford, R., and Cryer, D. “Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale–Revised (ECERS-R).” New York, NY: Teachers College Press, 1998.
• Heckman, J., Moon, S.H., Pinto, R., Savelyev, P., Yavitz, A. (2010). “The Rate of Return to the High/Scope Perry Preschool Program,” Journal of Public Economics 94, 114-128.
• Kline, P. and Walters, C. (2016). “Evaluating Public Programs with Close Substitutes: The Case of Head Start,” The Quarterly Journal of Economics, vol 131/4, pages 1795-1848.
• Lochner, L., and Moretti, E. (2004). “The Effect of Education on Crime: Evidence from Prison Inmates, Arrests, and Self-Reports.” American Economic Review 94/1.
• Montialoux, C. (2016). Revisiting the impact of Head Start. IRLE: Institute for Research on Labor and Employment. University of California: Berkeley.
• Phillips, D., Gormley, W., and Anderson, S. (2016). The Effects of Tulsa’s CAP Head Start Program on Middle-School Academic Outcomes and Progress. Developmental Psychology 52 (8): 1247-61.
• Pianta, R., LaParo, K., and Hamre, B. “The Classroom Assessment Scoring System Pre-K Manual.” Charlottesville, VA: University of Virginia, 2008.
• Puma, M., Bell, S., Cook, R., and Heid, C. (2010). Head Start Impact Study: Final Report.” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Administration for Children and Families.
• Puma, M., Bell, S., Cook, R., and Heid, C. (2012). Third Grade Follow-up to the Head Start Impact Study Final Report, OPRE Report # 2012-45, Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
• Walters, C. (2015). “Inputs in the Production of Early Childhood Capital: Evidence from Head Start.” American Economic Journal: Applied Economics 7/4.