Why early childhood program benefits last for some children but fade for others
Factors in Persistence Versus Fadeout of Early Childhood Intervention Impacts
This project looks at how differences in state pre-K funding and program features over time relate to children's learning, health, and family outcomes across the U.S.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California-Irvine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Irvine, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11369787 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you're a parent, this project examines whether and when investments in pre-kindergarten lead to lasting benefits for kids' school skills, mental health, disability rates, and family work outcomes. The team builds a new state-by-year dataset that links pre-K funding and program features with child and family outcome measures such as NAEP scores, anxiety indicators, and maternal employment, and uses models that control for state and year differences. They also bring in detailed North Carolina data and use families' proximity to pre-K centers as a natural experiment to help separate the effect of attending pre-K from other differences between families. The work is designed to show patterns across places and years so policymakers and families can see what kinds of early investments tend to stick.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This work is most relevant to families with children from birth through elementary grades (up to around 5th grade) and to parents or caregivers interested in how pre-K programs affect child and family outcomes.
Not a fit: Adults and older adolescents who were not affected by contemporary pre-K programs or who live outside the timeframes studied are unlikely to see direct benefits from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help states design and target early education investments that produce longer-lasting improvements in children's learning, wellbeing, and family stability.
How similar studies have performed: Previous local and state evaluations, including prior work in North Carolina, have shown mixed results—some showing lasting benefits and others showing fadeout—so this project builds on those findings to seek broader patterns.
Where this research is happening
Irvine, United States
- University of California-Irvine — Irvine, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jenkins, Jade Vanessa Marcus — University of California-Irvine
- Study coordinator: Jenkins, Jade Vanessa Marcus
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.