Public Policy Facts, Reports, Resources

Information about facts, figures, and research about early care and education

• An economic analysis of the early care and education sector in Monroe County by New York State Child Care Coordinating Council shows that early care and education is a $210 MM industry – employing over 7,500 workers, and supporting 36,000 working parents.
• Early education in Rochester is working for our poorest children. RECAP – a local assessment- has 2,800 three and four olds in the assessment–includes all Universal Pre-K programs in the city- These children benefit from the highest ratings in the country. 94% of students exceed their expected social, emotional and cognitive development.

Nationally more groups support investments in early care and education based on solid research.

• James Heckman, a Nobel Prize winning economist, suggests that there will be a future of declining wages and lower productivity unless America invests in pre-school age children.
• Fight Crime Invest in Kids, a national anti-crime organization of over 2,000 police chiefs, sheriffs, prosecutors and victims of violence, advocate for investments in early education as a solution to crime prevention. This position is based on such research as the nationally known High/Scope Perry Preschool Study, which shows a social return on investments of $17 for one dollar invested.
• The Institute for Competitive State Government (formerly CGR) – offers a compelling argument for the need to shift resources to research-based prevention programs such as early childhood education.