Prosperous Communities - SC First Steps

Prosperous Communities

The benefits of investing in early childhood development extend to society as a whole.

Capable children are the foundation of a prosperous and sustainable society. Research by Nobel Prize-winning economist James Heckman has shown that every dollar invested in high quality early childhood programs can yield between $4 and $16 in short-and long-term social benefits. That’s because kindergarten readiness is proven to reduce the need for special education and grade repetition, decrease involvement with the criminal justice system and social services, lower expenditures on health care, and increase tax revenue due to higher productivity and wage-earning.

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  1. Knudsen, Heckman, Cameron, Shonkoff. Economic, Neurobiological, and Behavioral Perspectives on Building America’s Future Workforce. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2006. 103 (27): 10155-10162.
  1. Ibid