RESEARCH AND DATA
The Collaborative’s initial movement is focused upstream on the first 1000 days, because the scientific and economic data points to this time as the most critical in determining life-long outcomes.
This concept is highlighted by the work of Professor James J. Heckman, expert in the economics of human development. He is a Nobel Memorial Prize winner in economics and the Henry Schultz Distinguished Service Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago.
Professor Heckman’s ground-breaking work with a consortium of economists, psychologists, statisticians and neuroscientists shows that early childhood development directly influences economic, health and social outcomes for individuals and society. Adverse early environments create deficits in skills and abilities that drive down productivity and increase social cost. heckmanequation.com
Professor Heckman determined that the average return on investment in early childhood development is 13% - averaging between $4 and $16 per every dollar invested as illustrated in the graphic below.
The Heckman’s Curve Shows the greatest ROI comes from the earliest intervention
Our work also honors research and is guided by the HOPE framework that shows:
Children are born and grow in an ecosystem that includes their family and their community;
The sources of childhood trauma and the transmission of historical trauma experiences begin very early in life–even before conception–and this adversity can compromise the ability of children to reach their full potential;
The earlier we intervene in the life of a child exposed to these detrimental life experiences, the more likely it is that the child will achieve their full potential; and
Outcomes for every child, especially those furthest from opportunity, are markedly improved when communities come together to design systems that increase positive experiences for children and their families.
Read More about the Hope Research
We know that all parents want what is best for their children and all children are born with an innate capacity for growth, development and human potential. We also know that the zip code in which a child is raised determines how much opportunity they may access. The Child Opportunity Index demonstrates this visually, with the ability to disaggregate the data by race.
Read More about the Child Opportunity Index