PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Doyle, Orla
TI  - Can Early Intervention Have a Sustained Effect on Human Capital?
AID  - 10.3368/jhr.0321-11557R1
DP  - 2024 Sep 01
TA  - Journal of Human Resources
PG  - 1599--1636
VI  - 59
IP  - 5
4099  - http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/59/5/1599.short
4100  - http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/59/5/1599.full
AB  - Many early intervention studies experience a dissolution of treatment effects in the aftermath of the intervention. Using a randomized trial, this work examines the impact of Preparing for Life, a pregnancy to age five home visiting and parenting program, on outcomes in middle childhood. I find significant treatment effects on cognitive skills (0.55 SD) and school achievement tests (0.30–0.54 SD) at age nine. There is no impact on socio‐emotional skills, and there is little evidence of treatment heterogeneity by gender, birth order, or distribution of ability. The effects are mainly driven by improvements in early parental beliefs.