Early Head Start Research and Evaluation

The final report to Congress presents complete findings from our seven-year national evaluation of Early Head Start. The findings show that the program promotes learning and the parenting that supports it within the first three years of life. Participating children perform significantly better in cognitive, language, and social-emotional development than their peers who do not participate. The program also had important impacts on many aspects of parenting and the home environment, and supported parents’ progress toward economic self-sufficiency. Programs that more fully implemented the Head Start Performance Standards achieved larger impacts across a wide range of outcomes.

The Early Head Start program extends the Head Start concept to low-income pregnant women and families with infants and toddlers. Our staff worked with a consortium of local researchers and program directors to conduct a comprehensive implementation study and a random assignment impact study in 17 sites. The executive summary provides an overview of the study and findings, Volume I provides the detailed description of methodology and results, Volume II contains methodological appendixes, and Volume III presents brief reports of 21 studies conducted by members of the Early Head Start Research Consortium at the local sites.

Final Program Impact Report:
Making a Difference In The Lives of Infants and Toddlers and Their Families: The Impacts of Early Head Start
Executive Summary
Vol. I: Final Technical Report
Vol. II: Final Technical Report Appendixes
Vol. III: Local Contributions to Understanding the Programs and Their Impacts

Interim Impact Report:
Building Their Futures 
Interim Report to Congress—Full Technical Report
Appendixes 
Summary Report

Implementation Study Reports:
Pathways to Quality in Early Head Start Programs
Leading the Way (Early Implementation Report)
Executive Summary
Vol. I: Cross-Site Perspectives  
Vol II: Program Profiles
Vol. III: Characteristics and Early Experiences

Early Head Start Father Studies:
Father Involvement in Early Head Start Programs: A Practitioners Study

For printed copies of these reports, contact Publications at Mathematica, (609) 275-2350.

Related Links
EHS National Resource Center
ACF Child Outcomes Research and Evaluation, OPRE

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