Friday, March 22, 2013

Research that Benefits Children and Families—Uplifting Stories


I came across this article http://www.brookings.edu/research/papers/2008/09/early-programs-isaacs while looking for information for another class. I did not use the article for the other class because it was not what I was looking for; however, I did read the article because I found it interesting. The main focus of this research study was to examine the impact on early childhood programs and children over a span of 24 years. One study actually went to children who reached 40. The results of the study showed a positive impact on children and their families in many areas. “Most early childhood interventions also have had positive impacts on children’s emotional and behavioral outcomes, including long-term reductions in criminal behavior. There also is some evidence of improvements in children’s health and safety, and some programs have had positive effects on the children’s parents” (Isaacs & Roessel, 2008). One of the things that I loved about the results of this research study is the fact that the findings will be used “to provide policy-makers with a user-friendly summary of up-to-date, high-quality evidence on several early childhood interventions and their impact on children and families” (Isaacs & Roessel, 2008). This is in hopes that more funding will be available for expanding future early childhood programs state and nationwide.

 

Isaacs, J., & Roessel, E. (2008, September). Impacts of early childhood programs. Bookings. Retrieved from http://www.brookings.edu/research/papers/2008/09/early-programs-isaacs

1 comment:

  1. Hi Elizabeth,
    Thanks for sharing the article. Participation in early childhood programs fosters the development of many important skills. The skills children learn in these programs benefit them throughout their school years and life. It is wonderful that policy makers will see the results of this study. Hopefully the findings will help them to recognize the benefits of quality early child development programs and support the funding of future programs.

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