Rob Grunewald, Economist, Community Development Department, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia
Cascade: No. 93, Fall 2016
Experiences during the first few months and years of life create the foundation for learning and development. Supportive early environments help children succeed in school and in life, and provide many benefits that spill over into communities and society. Cost-benefit analyses of high-quality early learning programs show that the monetary benefits to society are much larger than program costs. Sustaining the gains children make in early childhood during elementary school and beyond is important to achieving these high returns.