The Building Blocks of Lifelong Success

Decades of research prove that children with access to high-quality early childhood programs are better prepared for kindergarten, perform well in schooland are more likely to pursue higher education. These children also grow into healthier, more productive members of society. The benefits of early childhood experiences include:

• Higher graduation rates
• Better health outcomes
• More productive, fulfilling lives

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Brain Science and the Power of Early Experiences

Advances in science show how critical early experiences are to brain development. With 90% of brain growth occurring by age 5, every interaction—playing, talking and exploring—builds neural connections that shape a child’s future.

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Quality Early Learning Leads to Lifelong Benefits

Early learning doesn’t just prepare kids for school—it prepares them for life. Research shows that high-quality early education leads to:

• Stronger academic skills
• Improved social relationships
• Long-term community benefits, like lower crime rates and higher incomes

Young children with high-quality experiences have also been shown to have better vocabulary, language, math and social skills, more positive relationships with classmates, and higher scores on school-readiness assessments.

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Supporting Families as Their Child’s First Teacher

Parents and caregivers are a child’s most important teachers. Programs like home visitation and parenting education provide families with tools to create nurturing, thriving environments.

Highlighted programs:

• Nurse-Family Partnership: Proven to improve educational outcomes and reduce child abuse and neglect.
• Parents as Teachers: Enhances child development, supports school readiness, and prevents abuse.
• Healthy Families America: Strengthens parent-child interactions and school readiness while reducing maltreatment.
• Reach Out and Read:  Recommended by pediatricians to improve early literacy and foster lifelong learning habits.

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Transformative Research on Early Childhood Education

Research confirms that preschool gives all children a strong start, with the greatest gains seen in children with fewer opportunities for early learning experiences. The following studies underscore the transformative power of quality early childhood education.

• Puzzling it Out: The Current State of Scientific Knowledge on Pre-Kindergarten Effects: (Brookings/Duke): Preschool attendees show stronger academic and social skills, with lasting benefits into adulthood.
• The HighScope Perry Preschool Study: Revealed higher graduation rates, fewer teen pregnancies, and higher incomes among participants.
• Landmark studies of the Chicago Child-Parent Center Program: Improved outcomes for low-income children, including better education and lower juvenile arrest rates.
• The Abecedarian Project: Demonstrated that children in high-quality care were four times more likely to graduate from college.