The health effects of universal early childhood interventions: Evidence from Sure Start

Arbeitspapier

Early Childhood Interventions (ECI) offering disadvantaged children preschool and family support services in the US show long-lasting health impacts. Can these benefits hold when these programs are offered to all children in contexts with universal healthcare? We evaluate the short- and medium-term health impacts of Sure Start, a universal integrated ECI in England, exploiting its 11-year rollout and administrative hospitalizations data. One additional Sure Start centre per thousand age-eligible children increases hospitalizations by 10% at age 1, but reduces them by 8-9% across ages 11-15. Impacts are concentrated in disadvantaged areas and likely driven by both health and non-health services.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: IFS Working Papers ; No. 22/43

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Health: General ; Health and Inequality ; Health: Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
• Subject: early childhood intervention ; health ; difference-in-differences

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Cattan, Sarah ; Conti, Gabriella ; Farquharson, Christine ; Ginja, Rita ; Pecher, Maud
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS)
• (where): London
• (when): 2022

Further information

• DOI: doi:10.1920/wp.ifs.2022.4322
• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/284213
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:43 AM CET