Research report no.14 2005

The efficacy of early childhood interventions

by Sarah Wise, Lisa da Silva, Elizabeth Webster and Ann Sanson

report cover

 

Australian Institute of Family Studies, 2005.
ISBN 0 642 39527 6. ISSN 1447-1469 (Print); 1477-1477 (Online).

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Contents

Introductory pages | PDF (482K) - Foreword; Acknowledgements; About the authors; List of tables

Executive Summary | PDF (44K)

  1. Background and purpose of the project | PDF (181K)
  2. Terminology and scope of the review | PDF (194K)
    Definition of early childhood interventions
    Definition of cost-benefit analyses
    Scope of the review
    Selection of early childhood interventions
  3. Classification of interventions | PDF (196K)
    Selected interventions
    Intervention clusters
  4. Adequacy of intervention design and implementation | PDF (191K)
    Dosage of programs
    Participation rates
    Drop-out rates
    Program integrity
    Summary
  5. Adequacy of evaluation design | PDF (208K)
    Evidence rating system
    Adequacy of cluster 1 evaluations
    Adequacy of cluster 2 evaluations
    Adequacy of cluster 3 evaluations
    Adequacy of cluster 4 evaluations
    Adequacy of cluster 5 evaluations
    Relative adequacy of evaluations across clusters
  6. Effects of early childhood interventions | PDF (202K)
    Assessing program outcomes
    Effects of cluster 1 interventions
    Effects of cluster 2 interventions
    Effects of cluster 3 interventions
    Effects of cluster 4 interventions
    Effects of cluster 5 interventions
    Summary of intervention effects
  7. Cost-benefit analyses: purposes and principles | PDF (179K)
  8. Steps in a cost-benefit analysis | PDF (201K)
    Step 1: Estimating the net impact of the intervention
    Step 2: Estimating the social costs and benefits of the intervention in monetary terms
    Step 3: Calculating the cost-benefit
  9. Overview of cost-benefit calculations: present value, rate of return and cost-effectiveness methodologies | PDF (251K)
    Cost-benefit formulae
    Societal distribution of costs and benefits
    Intertemporal discount rate
  10. Valuing spillovers and non-market transactions | PDF (204K)
    The nature of spillovers (externalities)
    Valuation of non-market costs and benefits
  11. Evaluations of cost-benefit studies of early childhood interventions | PDF (209K)
    Perry Preschool Project
    Bolivia Integrated Child Development Program
    Chicago Child-Parent Centre
    Carolina Abecedarian Project
    Starting Early Starting Smart
    Florida Family Transition Project
    Triple P Positive Parenting Program
    Elmira Prenatal and Early Infant Project
    Effectiveness of early childhood interventions with a cost-benefit analysis
  12. Lessons for Australia | PDF (193K)
    Are early childhood interventions efficacious?
    Do early childhood interventions have long-term payoffs?
    Planning a cost-benefit analysis of an Australian early childhood intervention
    Conclusion

References | PDF (44K)

Appendix 1 - PDF (124K)

Appendix 2 - PDF (237K)