Giving Compass' Take:

· To close the disadvantage gap in youths, Megan Sim and Julie Belanger at the RAND Corporation explain that schools are looking for evidence about which early years programs actually work.

· How does early childhood education influence the way students succeed in school? How can donors support research into what programs really work? 

· Read and learn more on how early childhood education and care can help to tackle the impact of childhood disadvantage.

Children are affected by socio-economic disadvantage from an early age. We see differences between disadvantaged children and their peers not only in early educational outcomes such as reading and language, but also in social and economic outcomes later in life.

The news is not all bad. There is some evidence (PDF) that high quality early years education may go some way in mitigating the gap in children's outcomes associated with socio-economic disadvantage. With the recent announcement of a multi-million pound fund to support projects targeted at disadvantaged children and their families, and the extension of the free education and childcare offer to the most disadvantaged two-year-olds in England in 2013, the UK government has indicated a commitment to closing the gap between disadvantaged children and their peers. What is less clear is how the government's investment can be best used to maximise the impact for these children. Is it possible to ensure the funding is spent on projects and childcare practices that would most benefit disadvantaged children?…

Read the full article about early years programs by Megan Sim and Julie Belanger at the RAND Corporation.