Costs?

Costs Per Child for Early Childhood Education and Care: Comparing Head Start, CCDF Child Care, and Pre-Kindergarten/Preschool Programs

American Enterprise Institute

Comment: I thought this was interesting. Now compare costs!

Many U.S. politicians, academics, and policymakers are currently engaged in a nationwide debate about whether to expand child care, pre-kindergarten/preschool, or Head Start programs. Up to now, the deliberations have focused on which programs work best to close the achievement gap for disadvantaged children, and which programs better prepare all other children for school. Yet, as AEI scholar Douglas J. Besharov points out, the cost of these programs–an equally important factor–has been left out of the discussion.

In a just-released study, “Costs Per Child for Early Childhood Education and Care: Comparing Head Start, CCDF Child Care, and Pre-Kindergarten/Preschool Programs” (2003/2004), Besharov calculates the actual per-child costs of child care provided under the Child Care and Development Fund, pre-kindergarten/preschool programs, and Head Start (including Early Head Start).

The resulting cost estimates–based on all available government data–are dramatically different from most widely cited government and advocacy group estimates, which include neither the administrative and supplemental spending needed to raise care quality, nor the Child and Adult Care Food Program subsidy. Also ignored are the cost differences between part-time and full-time arrangements. Besharov estimates the full-time, full-year, costs per child to be:

• For center-based child care, about $8,908–not the widely cited $4,388 to $6,582.
• For pre-kindergarten/preschool programs, about $14,026–not the widely cited $3,551.
• For Head Start, about $21,305–not the widely cited $7,467.