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 (482 KB) - Foreword; Acknowledgements; About the authors; List of tables

Executive Summary | PDF (44 KB)

  1. Background and purpose of the project | PDF (181 KB)
  2. Terminology and scope of the review | PDF (194 KB)
    Definition of early childhood interventions
    Definition of cost-benefit analyses
    Scope of the review
    Selection of early childhood interventions
  3. Classification of interventions | PDF (196 KB)
    Selected interventions
    Intervention clusters
  4. Adequacy of intervention design and implementation | PDF (191 KB)
    Dosage of programs
    Participation rates
    Drop-out rates
    Program integrity
    Summary
  5. Adequacy of evaluation design | PDF (208 KB)
    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 (202 KB)
    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 (179 KB)
  8. Steps in a cost-benefit analysis | PDF (201 KB)
    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 (251 KB)
    Cost-benefit formulae
    Societal distribution of costs and benefits
    Intertemporal discount rate
  10. Valuing spillovers and non-market transactions | PDF (204 KB)
    The nature of spillovers (externalities)
    Valuation of non-market costs and benefits
  11. Evaluations of cost-benefit studies of early childhood interventions | PDF (209 KB)
    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 (193 KB)
    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 (44 KB)

Appendix 1 - PDF (124 KB)

Appendix 2 - PDF (237 KB)