the benefits more than recoup the costs. Each dollar invested produces more than seven dollars of discounted returns over the lifetimes of participants. The programme promotes the social mobility and economic and social welfare of both parents and children.
Targeting disadvantaged families is an effective strategy
Early childhood programmes are effective because they supplement the environments of children from disadvantaged families. They stimulate the flow of resources into families by promoting the employment, education, and work experience of mothers by subsidising their childcare costs. As currently configured, early childhood programmes are much less effective for advantaged families who already provide high-quality early childhood support. Targeting the young children of disadvantaged families and their mothers is, however, an effective social policy (Elango et al. 2016).
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