High-Quality Child Care as an Effective Antipoverty Strategy: Emerging Evidence From Canada.

Abstract

In their article, “Child Care Attendance and Educational and Economic Outcomes in Adulthood,” Domond et al1 confirm extant literature revealing the lifelong impact of high-quality early care and education participation. Specifically, 2 seminal early intervention studies conducted in the United States, the HighScope Perry Preschool Program2 and the Carolina Abecedarian study,3 have revealed the academic, social, economic, and health benefits of early childhood education, especially for children placed at risk primarily because of poverty.4 These studies, which were based on a small sample of primarily African American children in specific communities, make it challenging to generalize the findings, and the lack of rigorous examination of the core components makes it difficult to replicate. The current study extends and expands our current knowledge about the impact of regulated early care and education, specifically child care, on children’s education attainment and economic stability. Of particular note … Address correspondence to Iheoma U. Iruka, PhD, HighScope Educational Research Foundation, 600 N River St, Ypsilanti, MI 48198. E-mail: iiruka{at}highscope.org