TY - JOUR T1 - Adult outcomes as a function of an early childhood educational program: an Abecedarian Project follow-up. JF - Dev Psychol Y1 - 2012 A1 - Campbell, Frances A A1 - Pungello, Elizabeth P A1 - Burchinal, Margaret A1 - Kainz, Kirsten A1 - Pan, Yi A1 - Wasik, Barbara H A1 - Barbarin, Oscar A A1 - Sparling, Joseph J A1 - Ramey, Craig T KW - Adult KW - Age Factors KW - Child Development KW - Child, Preschool KW - Early Intervention (Education) KW - Educational Status KW - Family KW - Female KW - Health Status KW - Humans KW - Infant KW - Longitudinal Studies KW - Male KW - Outcome Assessment (Health Care) KW - Poverty KW - Questionnaires KW - Sex Factors KW - Social Adjustment KW - Socioeconomic Factors KW - Statistics as Topic KW - Young Adult AB -

Adult (age 30) educational, economic, and social-emotional adjustment outcomes were investigated for participants in the Abecedarian Project, a randomized controlled trial of early childhood education for children from low-income families. Of the original 111 infants enrolled (98% African American), 101 took part in the age 30 follow-up. Primary indicators of educational level, economic status, and social adjustment were examined as a function of early childhood treatment. Treated individuals attained significantly more years of education, but income-to-needs ratios and criminal involvement did not vary significantly as a function of early treatment. A number of other indicators were described for each domain. Overall, the findings provide strong evidence for educational benefits, mixed evidence for economic benefits, and little evidence for treatment-related social adjustment outcomes. Implications for public policy are discussed.

VL - 48 IS - 4 ER -