Why Early Care
and Education Matters
Approximately 42%
of the preschool-aged population (53,000
children) in the Houston Region live
at or below 185% of the federal poverty
line, or $33,485 for a family of four.
These children are eligible for free
public pre-kindergarten. Due to lack
of funding, 40% of these eligible children
are not served each year.
56%
of Texas children under age six have
all parents in the labor force.
50% of the Houston
Region’s 3- and 4-year-old children,
almost 62,000 children, spend time
in center-based preschool programs
(licensed childcare centers, Head
Start, and public prekindergarten).
Studies conclude that the early years of life matter because early experiences
affect the architecture of the maturing brain. 90% of brain growth occurs
before age five.
Every $1 invested in quality early childhood care and education saves
at least $7 by increasing the likelihood that children will be literate,
employed, and enrolled in postsecondary education and less likely to
be school dropouts, dependent on welfare, or arrested for criminal activity.
Early
education pays off: cost-benefit
ratios for age-specific programs
What are the long-term benefits
of quality early care and education?
- Higher math and reading scores
- Higher high school graduation and
college attendance
- Lower incidences of grade retention
and dropout rates
- Fewer referrals to special education
- More home ownership and higher
incomes
- Lower crime and unemployment rates
- Fewer teen pregnancies.
Click here for eight simple arguments in support of early care and education programs.
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