Effect of the Jamaica Early Childhood Stimulation Intervention on Labor Market Outcomes at Age 31

Abstract

We report the labor market effects of the Jamaica Early Childhood Stimulation intervention at age 31. The study is a small-sample randomized early childhood education stimulation intervention targeting stunted children living in the poor neighborhoods of Kingston, Jamaica. Implemented in 1987-1989, treatment consisted of a two-year home-based intervention designed to improve nutrition and the quality of mother-child interactions to foster cognitive, language and psycho-social skills. The original sample is 127 stunted children between 9 and 24 months old. Our study is able to track and interview 75% of the original sample 30 years after the intervention, both still living in Jamaica and migrated abroad. We find large and statistically significant effects on income and schooling; the treatment group had 43% higher hourly wages and 37% higher earnings than the control group. This is a substantial increase over the treatment effect estimated for age 22 where we observed a 25% increase in earnings.

Comparing China REACH and the Jamaica Home Visiting Program

“…There is close agreement between the language skill development processes of each program. If China REACH continues on course, it will reproduce the effects of the successful Jamaica program documented in Gertler et al (2022Gertler et al ( , 2014.…”

“…The search is on for effective, low-cost strategies that are adaptable to less-developed settings. Jamaica Reach Up and Learn, established some 30 years ago, is a successful home visiting program emulated worldwide (Gertler et al, 2022(Gertler et al, , 2014Grantham-McGregor and Smith, 2016).…”

Parenting Promotes Social Mobility within and Across Generations

“…Doyle (2016), Doyle (2020), andDoyle (2021) for PFL. Grantham-McGregor et al (1997), Walker et al (2000), Walker et al (2005), Walker et al (2011), Gertler et al (2014, Heckman et al (2020), Gertler et al (2021), and Walker et al (2022 for Jamaica.…”

“…While most program participants in the available programs are young, measured impacts on skills are similar to those found for the most successful preschool programs. The available long-term evidence indicates strong impacts on cognitive and non-cognitive skills, education, and labor income through age 31 (Gertler et al, 2021;Walker et al, 2022). We analyze the current literature, distill its common elements, and explain why home-visitation and parent-focused programs are promising alternatives to center-based preschools.…”

Early childhood learning patterns for a home visiting program in rural China

“…Visitors have levels of education comparable to those of the caregivers visited. The Jamaica Reach Up and Learn program, established some 30 years ago, is a successful prototype of a home visiting program emulated worldwide (Gertler et al, 2014, 2021).…”