Executive Director of Kids Count for the state of Texas, Frances Deviney, speaks with KRTS reporter Lorne Matalon about the findings of a national report which compiles research about the first eight years of life.
The First Eight Years: Building a Foundation for Lifetime Success, published by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, emphasizes that investment in education and health care in children's early years has a significant impact on their later success in school and young adult life.
In Texas, more than half of children 0-8 live in low-income families, and more than one in four live in poverty. The study finds that living in poverty has a significant effect on early childhood brain development. More on the report can be found at the Center for Public Policy Priorities website.