Early Childhood Development, Essay Example

In Rolnick and Grunewald’s (2003), article “Early Childhood Development,” the authors assess the high public return early childhood programs have as a form of economic development. The primary argument the authors make is that early childhood development programs are the most effective investment that can be made to uplift underprivileged children out of poverty and assist them in contributing to the economy.

The problem the authors address in their article focuses on the lack of funding for early childhood development programs. They note that, “early childhood development programs are rarely portrayed as economic development initiatives, and we think that is a mistake. Such programs, if they appear at all, are at the bottom of the economic development lists for state and local governments” (Rolnick & Grunewald, 2003). The authors go on to note that the majority of initiatives and government programs that get funded with the objective of creating jobs or in some way benefitting the public rarely ever do what they set out to accomplish, but studies reveal that money invested in early childhood development results in a substantial private as well as public return. The main argument the authors make is that publicly funded early childhood development programs yield substantial benefits that policymakers can’t afford to overlook. The primary question the authors pose is whether the programs are receiving enough funding. The reason these programs are ideal investments deserving of funding is because they provide needed support to disadvantaged youth.

Educational resources and day care facilities for parents that find it difficult to balance taking care of their children and also working are essential for early childhood development. The authors identify these as key factors when they point out that, “a well-managed and well-funded early childhood development program, or ECDP, provides such support. Current ECDPs include home visits as well as center-based programs to supplement and enhance the ability of parents to provide a solid foundation for their children”. Here they identify that early childhood development programs are structured to provide some of the most critical support a parent could need in raising their child properly.

The authors present data that supports their assertion that investment in ECDPs results in significant benefits. They state that “while not solely focused on 3- to 4-year-old children, also show improvements in scholastic achievement and less crime” (Rolnick & Grunewald, 2003). One example they provide is the Syracuse Preschool Program, which supports children from prenatal care up to age 5 who are disadvantaged. The study found that ten years following their enrollment in the early childhood development program, there was a decline of 70% in criminal and probation offenses among the children enrolled compared to those that weren’t.

In sum, the main finding of the article is that early childhood development significantly contributes to economic development and safeguards many children who would have grown up to have disadvantaged lives. Some programs mentioned by the authors are funded on large scale, for example the federally funded Head Start program, but for the most part, they find that there is not enough funding provided for early childhood development programs, despite all of the conclusive data revealing their drastic benefits.

References

Rolnick, A., & Grunewald, R. (2003). Early childhood development: Economic development with a high public return. The Region, 17(4), 6-12.