9. Experimental evidence on the positive effects of early interventions on children in disadvantaged families is consistent with a large body of non-experimental evidence showing that the absence of supportive family environments harms child outcomes.
10. If society intervenes early enough, it can improve cognitive and socio-emotional abilities, and the health of disadvantaged children.
11. Early interventions promote schooling, reduce crime, foster workforce productivity, and reduce teenage pregnancy.
12. These interventions are estimated to have high benefit-cost ratios and rates of return.
Pointer from Mark Thoma.
I should point out that this does not make a case for universal pre-school. Assuming Heckman is correct, it makes a case for pre-school for disadvantaged children.
However, it is universal pre-school that will be the political winner, because it gives a subsidy to affluent for what they already do. This reminds me of an encounter I once had at an event hosted by the late Eunice Shriver (no, I do not travel in those circles, and I cannot remember how I came to be invited). One of the rich parents from Potomac went on a rant about how the County was only providing all-day kingergarten to children from poor families when in his view everyone deserved all-day kindergarten.
So if you are tempted to offer pre-school only to the children for whom it will benefit, don’t even try. You’ll get killed politically.
My understanding from reading Heckman is that he emphasizes how the value of preschool is the difference between the quality offered by a given preschool and the quality offered by the parent(s) at home. Obvious, but worth stating. It is easier to get value-added if home care is weak (hence preschool for disadvantaged children). It is not easy to get value-added for all children. In fact, there is evidence universal preschool is detrimental to some kids (who presumably would have otherwise received good home care):
http://ideas.repec.org/a/ucp/jpolec/v116y2008i4p709-745.html
Morals reformed— health preserved — industry invigorated — instruction diffused — public burthens lightened — Economy seated, as it were, upon a rock — the gordian knot of the poor-law not cut, but untied — all by a simple idea in [pre-schooling]!
I often run into people like that parent and I think who do you think will pay for it when its free. To rob Peter to pay Peter is absurd but if people do not think, and it does not pay for voters to think, you get more and more absurdity.
You Shirver story reminds me of an observation my uncle made: the rich pay most of the taxes and they always expect a return on their investments.