A major objective of this collection is to involve researchers in a wide range of disciplines who share an interest in the long-term effects of early childhood education on poor children and their families. The book begins with a series of reviews that provide general overviews of research on the long-term effects of early childhood education. The focus shifts from research reviews to assessments of specific interventions or programs. The last three chapters discuss the formation and implementation of policy regarding early childhood education. The following papers are included: (1) "Long-Term Effects of Cognitive Development and School Success" (W. S. Barnett); (2) "Long-Term Outcomes in Other Nations" (S. S. Boocock and M. Larner); (3) "Preschool Program Quality in Programs for Children in Poverty" (E. C. Frede); (4) "Regenerating Two-Generation Programs" (R. G. St. Pierre, J. I. Layzer, and H. V. Barnes); (5) "The Effects of Welfare Reform on Teenage Parents and Their Children" (J. L. Aber, J. Brooks-Gunn, and R. Maynard); (6) "Early Childhood Programs and Success in School: The Abecedarian Study" (F. A. Campbell, R. Helms, J. J. Sparling, and C. T. Ramey); (7) "How Preschool Education Influences Long-Term Cognitive Development and School Success: A Causal Model" (W. S. Barnett, J. W. Young, and L. J. Schweinhart); (8) "Economic and Social Disadvantages of Young Children: Alternative Policy Responses" (D. J. Hernandez); (9) "Equity-Efficiency Tradeoffs and Government Policy in the United States, the Netherlands, and Sweden" (S. S. Gustafsson and F. P. Stafford); and (10) "Culture Clash: Translating Research Findings into Public Policy" (A. Zervigon-Hakes). Each chapter's references are listed in the "References" section, which contains multiple references. (Contains 28 tables and 11 figures.) (SLD)