Research and analysis

Financial returns to early education spending

Research estimating the financial returns of early education as part of the study of early education and development (SEED).

• From: Department for Education
• Published: 21 February 2020
• Last updated: 18 November 2021
  Show all updates

  1. 18 November 2021

     Updated the 'Financial returns to early education spending: research report' to reflect slight changes in benefit cost ratio values of estimated impacts of early education on children’s strengths and difficulties scores.

  2. 21 February 2020

     First published.

Applies to England

Documents

Financial returns to early education spending: research report

Ref: ISBN 978-1-83870-069-0, DFE-RR954

PDF, 710 KB, 73 pages

Details

This research is part of the longitudinal study of early education and development (SEED).

The report:

• estimates the monetary value of improvements in the verbal development and socio-emotional development of children at age 3 or age 4

• estimates the financial returns to early education spending on two measures of child development at ages 3 and 4