Half of the 111 infants enrolled were randomly assigned spots at an all-day high-quality center in North Carolina that offered a wide range of educational, health and social programs; the other half received extra social and nutritional support. After the age of 5, both groups attended public school.
Throughout their school years, the day-care group had higher IQ scores, better language skills and higher academic achievement than the other group. As adults, the children who received the intervention were more than twice as likely to attend college and be employed. “It has become crystal clear,” says Craig T. Raney, director of the study, “that if you wait until age 3 or 4, you are going to be dealing with a series of delays and deficits that will put you in remedial programs.” And for many kids, that’s too little too late.
