Congregations Caring for Children

Benefits of High Quality Early

Childhood Education

What are the hall 

High quality early education in centers, homes, and

marks of high qual 

schools supports the healthy development and early

ity in early child 

learning of infants and toddlers, preschoolers, and

hood programs?

children in kindergarten and the primary grades.  Chil 

dren develop a strong foundation for school readiness,

Teachers are

academic success, and adult achievement.

skilled specialists in

child development

Families also benefit from their involvement in their

and receive salaries

children's early education and from the support services

and benefits that re 

programs provide.  They access needed services, de 

flect their education

velop parenting skills, and become more self sufficient.

and training.

As children and families gain skills, communities ben 

Parents are in 

efit from the work and contributions these children and

formed partners in

families make to society.

their children's early

education at home

Benefits for children

and in the program.

Healthy development and early learning

Early childhood

settings are healthy

Children who attend high quality programs:

and safe, and pro 

Demonstrate greater social skills as preschoolers, in

gram practices are

kindergarten and primary grades, and secondary school

guided by high pro 

years;

fessional standards,

Typically have higher self esteem and value achieve 

such as the National

ment more than children who do not attend develop 

Association for the

mentally appropriate preschool;

Education of Young

Receive better dental care, have better nutrition, and

Children (NAEYC)

have greater access to health care and improved physi 

accreditation criteria.

cal health;

Receive higher scores on tests of thinking ability and

Families are con 

language development while in the program; and

nected to health, so 

Maintain gains in intellectual functioning for at least

cial services, and

three to four years after the program's end.

other family sup 

ports through par 

Success in school

ticipation in early

childhood education

Children who attend high quality early childhood

programs.

programs:

Excel in mastery of pre reading, reading and math

From NAEYC brochure,

skills and are better prepared for school;

 What Are the Benefits of

Show greater motivation for learning and commit 

High Quality Early

ment to schooling;

Childhood Programs? 

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