Education is a key social determinant of health, meaning that experiences from early childhood through post-secondary school education play a role in the health of individuals over their lifespans. Education is associated with health behaviors and opportunities for income and employment.

People with higher levels of education are more likely to be healthier and live longer. High school graduates have better health and lower medical costs than those who do not graduate high school, and college graduates have even better health and lower medical costs than high school graduates do. High school graduates are less likely to commit crimes, rely on government healthcare, or use public services such as food stamps or housing assistance.

Those benefits are not confined to a single generation, as higher levels of parental education are associated with healthier children with their own higher levels of education.\

While higher levels of education are achieved by young adults, access to early childhood education can set the stage for higher levels of educational attainment. Using activities for both social and cognitive development, early childhood education programs help prepare children for elementary school. These early childhood education programs and preschool programs, Head Start as one example, are associated with higher rates of high school graduation and help prevent developmental delays.

At the same time that high-quality childcare and early education support children’s long-term success, access to childcare is a fundamental economic driver by allowing parents greater access to employment and the associated stability, financial security, and opportunity for economic mobility. Investments in early childhood education provide returns in adulthood for income and economic mobility well in excess of the cost of the original investment.