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Early Education Nets Long-Lasting Results

Poor children who received early educational intervention starting in infancy had higher scores on mental, reading and math tests than children who didn't receive the intervention and, more importantly, these effects persisted until at least age 21, according to new research.

"Our study provides scientific evidence that early childhood education significantly improves the scholastic success and educational achievements of poor children even into early adulthood. The importance of high quality, educational child care from early infancy is now clear," said Dr. Frances Campbell, principal investigator of the Abecedarian Project Age 21 Follow-Up at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The study also showed that more than twice as many children who received the intervention attended college than those who did not.

Here are highlights of the study:

Young adults who received early educational intervention had significantly higher mental test scores from toddlerhood through age 21 than those who were untreated.

Reading achievement scores were consistently higher for individuals with early intervention.

Those with treatment were significantly more likely still to be in school at age 21 40 percent of the intervention group compared with 20 percent of the control group.

For additional information, visit the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center Web site.

$280 Million in Housing Vouchers Awarded

Housing and Urban Development Secretary Andrew Cuomo today awarded $280 million in rental assistance vouchers to help 50,000 families in 35 states move from welfare to work.

In addition, Cuomo awarded another $23.8 million in grants to 669 small public housing agencies in all 50 states to hire coordinators who will help get jobs for about 35,000 adults receiving HUD rental assistance.

"We're helping members of struggling families get jobs so they can work their way out of poverty and build better lives," Cuomo said.

For more on the program, visit the Housing and Urban Development Website.