Value of Early Care

Research has shown that the importance of early care is indisputable. The following quotes describe the value of investing in early care programs.

~ 85% of brain development happens in the first five years of life.
~ The first years of life may set the course for all future development.
~ Early childhood is an investment opportunity for each family, each community, and for society as a whole.

Source: New Mexico KIDS COUNT 2009, NM Voices for Children


Studies show the effect that early learning influences long term success:

Early Learning Decreases                                     Early Learning Increases
Special Education Costs                                            School Success
Grade Repetition                                                       Graduation Rates
Crime                                                                         Workforce Readiness
Teen Pregnancy                                                        Job Productivity
Welfare Dependency                                                 Community Engagement
Job Training Costs                                                     Earnings

Sources: Schweinhart, 2005: Bruner, 2003



Annual Return on Investment

“Every dollar invested in early childhood education produces a 10% per annum return on investment. This 10% annual rate of return means that investment return effectively doubles every seven years. Each $1 invested returns $7 to $12 back to society.”
~James Heckman, Nobel Prize-winning economist, 2010



Ensuring National Security

"75% of young Americans are ineligible to serve their country because they have either failed to graduate high school, engaged in criminal activity, or are physically or mentally unfit."
~Survey by the Lewin Group, 2005, for the U.S. Army Center for Accessions Research


“The armed services are meeting recruitment targets in 2009, but those of us who served in command roles are worried about the trends we see. Our national security in the year 2030 is absolutely dependent on what’s going on in pre-kindergarten today."
~Rear Admiral Jamie Barnett, US Navy (Ret.)

"As Former Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, it’s clear to us that our military readiness could be put in jeopardy given the fact that nearly 75 percent of young Americans are unable to serve in uniform. We joined Mission: Readiness because we believe that investing in our children through early education is not a Republican issue or Democratic issue. It’s a plain common sense issue critical to our National Security".
~General John M. Shalikashvili & General Henry H. Shelton, Quote from Mission: Readiness. Military Leaders for Kids


Change the First Five Years and You Change Everything
The quality of a child’s life during the first five years will set the stage for future learning and success. This video shows how things can be changed in the first five years.