Early childhood program studies have shown these programs have dramatic effects on children as they grow, possibly even keeping them out of jail as adults. Jessica Hamilton has that story.

UW-Superior will be hosting a lecture today to explain just how important these programs are.

Early childhood programs are showing positive effects on older children and adults in a number of studies according to UW-Madison Human Development and Family Studies Professor Dave Riley. He says some studies have shown to have lifelong driving forces behind a person’s ability to hold a job or even own a home later in life.

“This stuff is so surprising that economists have taken note of it and touting these programs now as the best return on investment of any government program they’ve seen.”

Riley’s speech is part of a lecture series on campus to inform people working in the healthcare and early childhood and family services fields.

“Not only showing them the results, the long term impacts, but trying to explain how in the world we can get such big impacts as well. What is it that really goes on inside really great early childhood programs, or for that matter inside really great families, that gives young children a huge head start, that puts them on a life path that is going to be dramatically different and dramatically better.”

Riley says more than 1/2 of Wisconsin women who are mothers of young children are working 40 hours a week, plus more who are working part-time which. That means there are many children who are put into these programs. But even stay at home parents use these programs. "They’re also using early childhood programs at times, not to make parental employment possible but just for child enrichment.”

Riley will be speaking in the UW-Superior’s Swenson Lecture Hall at 4:30.

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