Dec 11, 2024 
Research has consistently demonstrated that early childhood—those critical years from infancy to age 5—impacts long-term social, emotional, physical, and cognitive well-being. Kids who access high-quality early childhood programs, for example, score better on tests, earn better grades, and are more likely to stay in school and head off to college. They’re also less likely to binge drink, smoke cigarettes, or use drugs by age 21. Even well into adulthood, these programs have been linked to higher wages, better physical and mental health, and lower rates of…