Are We Crazy About Our Kids? (32 minutes) is one of the supporting episodes to the forthcoming documentary series, The Raising of America: Early Childhood and the Future of Our Nation, now in production. More information available at www.RaisingofAmerica.org. Science has demonstrated that a child’s experiences during the earliest years are vital to building the foundation for lifelong success—in school and in life. Now economists are studying the costs and benefits of high-quality early care and preschool. And they’re worried. Not because we’re spending too much but because we’re spending too little where it matters most. Studies by former Federal Reserve economist Arthur Rolnick, Nobel laureate James Heckman and others conclude that high-quality early care and preschool yield huge individual – and public – benefits. Participants in Perry Preschool, Abcedarian and the Chicago Child-Parent Centers were more likely to graduate high school and college, get better jobs and contribute more in taxes; less likely to abuse drugs or alcohol, be unemployed, go to jail or incur other social costs. The return on investment? Seven dollars or more for every dollar invested, depending on the study. Are We Crazy About Our Kids? also travels to Quebec which rolled out a novel jobs and anti-poverty program. They introduced universal early care and preschool (from birth to age five) available to all parents at a cost of $7 a day, along with paid parental leave and other family supports. Child poverty in Quebec went from the highest to the lowest in Canada. Back here in the U.S., child care remains largely haphazard, unregulated, and unaffordable for most. Many states have even cut back funding. But they continue to give billions in tax breaks to corporations in a competition to lure each other’s jobs, what former Fed economist Arthur Rolnick calls a “zero sum game” because not one net new job is created. Yet small, high-quality pilot programs continue. One, a preschool initiative in Salt Lake City, has closed the achievement gap between rich and poor, reversing a 30-year national trend. High-quality child care and preschool is just one piece of the solution. But economists are clear about the equation: our system is paying for failure, rather than investing in success. The question is – what will we do about it? How crazy are we about our kids? GET CONNECTED The Raising of America aims to reframe what we as a society can -- and should -- do to make a nurturing child ecology the birthright of all infants. • Follow us on Facebook facebook.com/RaisingofAmerica • Subscribe to our eNewsletter raisingofamerica.org/documentary#overlay=newsletter-signup • Sign up as a Campaign Partner raisingofamerica.org/join-campaign CHANGE THE CONVERSATION Use "Are We Crazy About Our Kids?" as a media tool to engage your colleagues, friends, students and others about the importance of giving all our children a strong start in life. Host a screening to: • Tell a new story about the importance of investing in the early years • Spark dialogue and action in communities • Advance the efforts organizations within and across sectors

• published: 09 Oct 2014
• views: 14148