Early Childhood and Economic Development in Wisconsin

Why Invest in Early Childhood Education?

Investing in high quality early childhood education is good business and establishes a strong foundation for success in school and in life. A growing body of research builds the case that investment in high quality early education will lead to a more educated, qualified, and talented workforce that will help Wisconsin better compete in a global economy.

Learn more about how to get involved in this economic development/early childhood issues in your community through the wisbiz4kids tool kit. Hard copies are also available of this tool kit. Tool kit includes Wisconsin business leaders and national experts testimonials about why this issue is critical to our future economic success and specific ways you can become involved. Learn more about previous early childhood/economic development national and state events or conferences and research focused on the connection between high quality early childhood investments and our economy. You will also find details on what's new including events and research that ties early childhood to economic development.

Recent news includes:

• The Economic Development Summit for Community Leadership Teams: A Strongest Links early childhood partnership event hosted more than 100 community leaders including business representatives on April 28, 2008, at the Crowne Plaza – Madison East Towne. A webcast of the conference is now posted on the Committee for Economic Development's website.  The 2008 Conference agenda is also available.  This year's event once again focused on the need to engage and mobilize community leadership teams around the importance of early childhood investments in economic development.
   
• Featured speakers included Judy Cameron from the Harvard Center for the Developing Child. Dr. Cameron's presentation addressed some of the recent findings in the area of early brain development and connections to future success. Dr. Cameron's presentation - A Science-Based Framework for Early Childhood Policy (PowerPoint) or A Science-Based Framework for Early Childhood Policy (PDF)
   
• Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank economist, Rob Grunewald provided the background and history of the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank's leadership in galvanizing Minnesota business leaders to play a more proactive and supportive role of early care and education in Minnesota, including establishing a public private fund to support early care and education. Early Childhood Development: Economic Development with a High Public Return (PowerPoint) or Early Childhood Development: Economic Development with a High Public Return (PDF)
   
• Elaine Weiss of the Partnership for America's Economic Success (PAES) highlighted their work activating national business leaders around this issue. In addition to supporting the Davos Forum on building human capital through research-based investments last fall, PAES serves as a clearinghouse for research supported by PAES on the connection between early childhood and economic development. Pre-K Now is also an excellent source for the latest research on this quality early childhood education and a strong economy. Making Young Children the Top Economic Priority of the Nation (PowerPoint) or Making Young Children the Top Economic Priority of the Nation (PDF)
   
• Dennis Winters, the Department of Workforce Development's Chief Economic Advisor, led a panel (Panel Power Point) from the Partnership for Wisconsin's Economic Success to discuss the growing business involvement in Wisconsin around this issues. Interest in the partnership continues to grow, membership now stands at more than twenty business and community leaders.  For more information, contact Dennis Winters at dennis.winters@dwd.state.wi.us.
   
• Green Bay leaders highlighted their local efforts to raise awareness of this issue and to more comprehensively involve local business leaders. From the Greater Green Bay Community Team - Forward with our Children (PowerPoint) or Forward with our Children (PDF)
  
   
• The Milwaukee Public Policy Forum discussed a ground-breaking study on early childhood in the Milwaukee region and their efforts locally to recruit business leaders to advocate on this issue. Toward High Quality Early Childhood Education (PowerPoint) or Toward High Quality Early Childhood Education (PDF)
   
• The April summit builds of the success of previous events including last year's summit in Madison and regional events in Milwaukee (2006) and Green Bay (2007). 
  
• The Rand Corporation has recently published another study underscoring the need to examine investments in quality early education as economic development. "The Economics of Early Childhood: What the Dismal Science Has to Say About Investing in Children" aims to serve as a primer for policy-makers in the use of cost/benefits/rate-of-return analysis in making early childhood policy.
   
• A successful Northeast Wisconsin Economic Development Summit on early learning made front page news as well as the editorial page on December 2 - Lawrence: Put the youngest children first and the editorial page on December 9 - Green Bay's 'Summit' on early childhood education was the first step .
  
  The summit speakers, participants and the Green Bay Press Gazette editorial focused on the importance of early investment. Especially noteworthy were the more than sixty business professionals who joined elected officials, philanthropists, United Ways and others to hear irrefutable evidence of the importance of getting all children off to a good start.
  
  As David Lawrence is quoted, 'If they get the right stuff, they'll rock and roll.' A transcript of David Lawrence's speech is available. Conference agenda and presentations are available on-line. A summary of the conference and video footage are now posted on the Committee for Economic Development website.
  
  
• The special report from American Prospect December 2007: Life Chances: The Case for Early Investment in Our Kids finds "the science of early childhood development is as persuasive as the science of global climate change. Today, both challenges urgently call for a transformative politics."

  This report details why we must sustain the investment in quality early learning to ensure better outcomes for third grade reading scores. Third grade reading scores are one of the important barometers of future school success for children.Proceedings of Telluride "Davos" forum

• Findings from the Chicago Child-Parent Centers study Effects of a School-Based, Early Childhood Intervention on Adult Health and Well-being reveal benefits to children enrolled more than 20 years after participation.

  Child Parent Center programs have provided comprehensive health, education, job and family services throughout the school year for children and their parents. The study finds lasting gains in terms of educational attainment and lower rate of felony arrests for alumni of this program.

  Study lead author, Arthur Reynolds, University of Minnesota noted: "By the time they're 65, a conservative estimate would be a 10-to-1 gain" factoring in reduced societal costs including remedial education, health care and incarceration.

• Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities, Inc. (TREO) names education - including early childhood education - as one of five areas for their "Power of Five" Blueprint Recommendations. Quoted in the July 22, 2007 Arizona Star, Joe Snell, TREO CEO and President "education topics are among the very first questions a potential business asks about during the attraction process. We view education at all levels - including early K- as a future work-force and business issue."
  
  
• The Public Policy Forum in Milwaukee, WI announced a first of its kind study to answer - "How can southeast Wisconsin most cost-effectively obtain the maximum economic benefits for our youngest children and our region?" Unfortunately the quality of care in southeastern Wisconsin needs improvement. Investing in quality of child care so our children are prepared for school and ultimately success in the future workforce is imperative. Financing and policy changes needed to improve regional child care quality will be outlined.

  As part of the project's first phase, the Forum has produced a map of existing research on early childhood education. The information is presented in matrix format so that outcomes can be easily compared across studies. For more information, contact the Forum’s research director, Anneliese Dickman, adickman@publicpolicyforum.org or call 414-276-8240.

• James Heckman, Ph.D, Nobel Laureate testified at the Congressional Joint Economic Committee on June 26, 2007 about the critical link between early childhood and economic development.
  
  
• A monthly series of podcasts on recent early childhood research findings will be hosted by the University of North Carolina, Frank Porter Graham, Child Development Institute.