This summer, the Becker Friedman Institute released a new study about the benefits of early education. The paper studies benefits among participants in a high-quality early childhood education program (the Perry Preschool Project) in Ypsilanti, Michigan. They used newly collected data from participants who are now in their mid-50s, and saw benefits not only among those participants, but among their siblings and adult children.
Among other findings, they discovered that participation increased income, reduced crime and improved health and healthy behaviors. Researchers also found that the program generated $9 of benefits for every $1 that was invested in it.
You can find the full study here and read or listen to a story about it here.