National Evaluation of the
Early Head Start Programs

In 1995, the Administration on Children, Youth and Families launched an entirely new program, EarlyHead Start, by expanding Head Start services to infants and toddlers. In collaboration with policy researchers at Mathematica Policy Research, the Center conducted an evaluation of seventeen Early Head Start programs from fifteen states, with 2,800 families divided between the Early Head Start and control groups. The aim was to examine how Early Head Start serves the needs of low-income families and their infants and toddlers, and to identify the impact of these programs on staff as well as on the larger community.

Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project - Grade Five Follow-Up

This research project is a follow-up study based on the National Evaluation of the Early Head Start Programs , which tracked infants and toddlers involved in 17 Early Head Start programs across 15 states. The children in the initial study were last seen as they were getting ready to enter kindergarten; in this phase, the research will involve follow-up studies of the children, now approximately ten years old. Researchers will be assessing the children, interviewing their mothers, and sending questionnaires to their teachers. By collecting longitudinal data on children, families, and staff, the research will provide the information necessary to ensure that Early Head Start programs will be effective in improving outcomes for our youngest and neediest children. This study will be conducted in partnership with Mathematica Policy Research and Educational Testing Service .

Funding Source: Administration on Children, Youth and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Contact: Anne Martin, DrPH

Other Current Early Childcare and Education Projects

Completed Early Care and Education Research Projects