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Global competition is intensifying, and the burden of debt on the next generation has skyrocketed. For the country to flourish, we must prepare our children to thrive.
Research shows that investing in programs that assist children during their earliest years yields high returns for the U.S. economy. However, early childhood development is not at the top of the national agenda.
The Partnership for America’s Economic Success works to refocus the debate by examining the enormous potential economic benefits of high-quality early childhood programs.
In 2006, Pew joined with several private philanthropists, foundations and corporations to create the Partnership for America’s Economic Success. Guided by an advisory board that includes economists, business leaders, children’s advocates and policy experts, the partnership assesses the economic impact of strategic investments in young children.
The partnership examines the ways that investing in children helps build our nation’s economy. It identifies and quantifies major child development strategies that have proven positive rates of return; finds new approaches to financing investments in children, drawing from public, nonprofit and for-profit partnerships in other areas as examples of success; and develops effective communications strategies to bring the research to the attention of policy makers and the public.
Pew is no longer active in this line of work, but for more information, view the materials below and visit the Partnership for America’s Economic Success website.
Feb 22, 2010 - Despite dramatic improvements over the past 30 years, lead poisoning remains a serious hazard for hundreds of thousands of young children across the country.
Read: Summary View: Full Report (Adobe PDF)
Jan 19, 2010 - Cutting effective early childhood programs hurts states now. When public resources are stretched thin, essential programs for young children often lose out in the budget process. Budget cuts that deprive children of a strong developmental start mean society and taxpayers lose, too.
Dec 16, 2008 - This report, written for the Partnership for America’s Economic Success, examines the links between housing and education in the United States, focusing on implications for cost-effective policies that have a real impact.
Nov 19, 2008 - Hungry children represent not only a moral crisis but also a dire educational and economic risk for the nation.
Jul 09, 2008 - Without a safe, stable home to call their own, young children face tremendous obstacles to the critical cognitive, behavioral and social development that occurs during their earliest years.
Feb 28, 2008 - The researchers examine the economic impacts of raising families to, and above, the poverty line.
Feb 28, 2008 - Researchers estimate the long-term economic benefits of implementing early childhood development and enrichment programs.
Feb 28, 2008 - This research paper examines the long-term economic impact of investing in proven early childhood programs, and compares them to the economic impact of business subsidies.
Dec 03, 2007 - Issue brief and full report from the Partnership for America’s Economic Success showing that, between 2006 and 2017, the share of Gross Domestic Product that the federal government will invest in children is projected to decline by 14 to 29 percent.
Nov 20, 2007 - This research paper explores financing strategies for early childhood programs and proposes recommendations about how tax credit might be used.
Sep 10, 2007 - Losing Ground? discusses the projected decline in the percentage of the federal budget invested in children between 2006 and 2017.
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