Discussion Paper Series

Effects of a School-Based, Early Childhood Intervention on Adult Health and Well Being:
A 20-Year Follow Up of Low-Income Families

Arthur J. Reynolds, University of Minnesota, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Judy A. Temple, University of Minnesota
Suh-Ruu Ou, University of Minnesota, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Dylan L. Robertson, University of North Carolina
Joshua P. Mersky, University of Wisconsin-Madison
James W. Topitzes, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Michael D. Niles, Arizona State University

ABSTRACT

Although the benefits of early childhood interventions are well established, few studies have investigated effects into adulthood, especially for large-scale, publicly funded programs. We conducted a 20-year follow-up at age 24 of a cohort of 1539 low-income children (93% black, 7% Hispanic) born in 1979 or 1980 who enrolled in the Child-Parent Center (CPC) Program in 20 sites or an alternative early childhood intervention in randomly selected or matched schools in Chicago, Illinois. The program provides educational enrichment, family support services, and health services in the Chicago public school system from preschool to up to third grade. Relative to the comparison group and adjusted for many background factors, CPC preschool participants by age 24 had higher rates of school completion (71.4% vs. 63.7%, p = .01), higher rates of attendance in 4-year colleges (14.7% vs. 10%, p = .02), and more years of completed education (11.7 vs. 11.4 yrs, p = .001). They were more likely to have health insurance (70.2% vs. 61.5%, p = .005). They also had lower rates of felony arrests (16.5% vs. 21.1%; p = .02) and incarceration (20.6% vs. 25.6%; p = .03) as well as criminal convictions; lower rates of depressive symptoms (12.8% vs. 17.4%, p = .057); and lower rates of out-of-home placement (4.7% vs. 8.8%, p =.005). Participation in the school-age program and in the extended intervention also was linked to better health and well-being on some indicators. Some program effects were stronger for males, 2-year preschool participants, and children in centers rated high in child-initiated activities. For parents of study participants, both preschool and extended intervention was associated with higher educational attainment. Preschool intervention also was associated with lower rates of parental disability, whereas extended intervention was associated with higher employment. Participation in a school-based intervention beginning in preschool was associated with a wide range of positive outcomes in adulthood for children and their parents. Findings provide strong evidence that established early education programs high in quality can have enduring effects on general health and well-being.

The views expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Early Childhood Research Collaborative.

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