As the fiscal crisis continues in most states, governors and legislatures are considering budget cuts to early childhood programs. But research from the Pew Center on the States shows that spending less today on evidence-based children's policies means taxpayers will face much higher costs later for problems including child abuse and neglect, high school dropouts, crime, teen pregnancy and drug and alcohol abuse.

The Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan "fact tank" that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. It does so by conducting public opinion polling and social science research; by analyzing news coverage; and by holding forums and briefings. It does not take positions on policy issues.

The RAND Corporation is a non-profit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. RAND research on children covers the prenatal period up to age 18 and includes areas such as child health and the role of the family unit, neighborhoods, and communities in influencing child well-being. RAND's family-focused research covers additional topics such as marriage and divorce, senior care, and family finances.

This book is for those who believe that good government should be based on hard evidence, and that research and policy ought to go hand-in-hand. Unfortunately, no such bond exists. Rather, there is a substantial gap, some say chasm, between the production of knowledge and its utilization. Despite much contrary evidence, the authors propose there is a way of doing public policy in a more reflective manner, and that a hunger for evidence and objectivity does exist.