A new study published in Child Development found that the high-quality, center-based early childhood education offered at Educare has a positive impact on the development of financially low-income infants and toddlers.
The study found that Educare children after one year of enrollment, at approximately age 2, had significantly higher English language skills, fewer parent reports of problem behaviors and more positive parent-child interactions than children who did not attend Educare.
Child development research shows that strong language skills, social-emotional skills and parent-child relationships at an early age are all predictive of a child’s future success in school and in life.
Educare is a comprehensive, research-based early education program that serves financially disadvantaged children, from age 6 weeks to 5 years, and their families. There are 21 schools in the national Educare Network located in urban, suburban and rural communities in 13 states and the District of Columbia.
The randomized control study was conducted by researchers at FPG Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Chicago, University of Oklahoma, University of Nebraska Medical Center and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
The study was conducted in four cities where Educare schools are located: Chicago, Milwaukee, Omaha and Tulsa.
Read the abstract and full article in Child Development.
Educare is dedicated to increasing access to quality early childhood education for children across the country through a national network of 21 effective early learning schools, field-building professional development and research initiatives, and federal and state advocacy efforts. Learn more about Educare at educareschools.org.