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The ECDC Public Policy Committee is committed to helping raise the awareness of the importance of early childhood programs and funding in Indiana. We are working to develop a strong network throughout Indiana to make early childhood development a priority at the local and state level.
ECDC is building relationships with our local and state government officials and legislative delegation. We are keeping them connected to the progress the coalition makes toward our mission of providing opportunities for families and communities to prepare all children for success in school, thereby setting the stage for high school graduation, post-secondary education and a vibrant economy. We are working with them to establish legislation that will commit Indiana to programs and funding for early childhood development.
Return on Investment "This shows the ROI analysis done by Nobel Prize-winning economist James Heckman. The older an individual, the lower the rate of return on investment. The opportunity cost is greatest with the very young. In his analysis, supporting early childhood education is a smarter public investment than supporting training and retraining for adults. He also makes the point in his research that we need to start early - and maintain support. It's a matter of balance. When investments are balanced throughout a young person's childhood - instead of concentrated on one single stage - society reaps the greatest return."
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Sources:
Heckman, James, "Lessons from the Technology of Skill Formation," University of Chicago (Jan. 2005)
America's Promise, "Every Child, Every Promise"
Heckman, J. and Cunha, F., "Investing in Our Young People," University of Chicago, University College Dublin, The American Bar Association (Nov. 2006)
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Also: "A 12-state study by the Child and Family Policy Center and Voices for America's Children showed the disparity in children's education and development investment. For every dollar invested in school-aged children in these states, only 13.7 cents was invested in the earliest learning years. That's only one-fifth the amount invested in college-aged youth."
Sources:
C. Bruner, with S. Floyd & A. Copeman. (January 2005) Seven Things Policy Makers Need to Know about School Readiness: Revised & Expanded Toolkit. State Early Childhood Policy Technical Assistance Network (SECPTAN) Available online at http://www.cfpciowa.org/pdf/7%20Things.pdf.
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Left: While the research on early learning is strong, the public investment is not. The RAND Corporation, known for its work on defense and its level approach to research and analysis, has produced this chart comparing brain growth to public spending in the country. While most of the core structure of the brain develops in the first few years of life, only 5% of public investments in children happens then.
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