A randomized trial evaluated the efficacy of 17 Early Head Start (EHS) programs. 3,001 low-incomefamilies with a pregnant women or an infant under 12 months wereassigned to a treatment or control group. Data were collected when children were 1, 2, 3, and 5 years old. Analyses examined (1) impacts at ages 2 and 3 (while services were being offered) and at age 5, and (2)contributions of early education experiences across children's first 5years of life.Child outcomes included cognition, language, attention, behavior problems, and health; maternal outcomes included parenting, mental health, and employment

I. BACKGROUND LITERATURE REVIEW PERTAINING TO THE EARLYHEAD START STUDYHelen H. Raikes, Jeanne Brooks-Gunn, and John M. LoveII. DESIGN AND METHODS IN THE EARLY HEAD START STUDYRichard A. Faldowski, Rachel Chazan-Cohen, John M. Love, and Cheri VogelIII. IMPACTS OF EARLY HEAD START PARTICIPATION ON CHILD AND PARENTOUTCOMES AT AGES 2, 3, AND 5Cheri Vogel, Jeanne Brooks-Gunn, Anne Martin, and Mary M. KluteIV. FAMILY SUBGROUPS AND IMPACTS AT AGES 2, 3, AND 5: VARIABILITY BY RACE/ETHNICITY AND DEMOGRAPHIC RISKHelen H. Raikes, Cheri Vogel, and John M. LoveV. PROGRAM SUBGROUPS: PATTERNS OF IMPACTS FOR HOME-BASED, CENTER-BASED, AND MIXED-APPROACH PROGRAMSRachel Chazan-Cohen, Helen H. Raikes, and Cheri VogelVI. LINKS BETWEEN EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION EXPERIENCES BIRTH TO AGE 5 AND PREKINDERGARTEN OUTCOMESRachel Chazan-Cohen and Ellen E. KiskerVII. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONSJeanne Brooks-Gunn, John M. Love, Helen H. Raikes, and Rachel Chazan-CohenREFERENCESACKNOWLEDGMENTSCONTRIBUTORSSTATEMENT OF EDITORIAL POLICY SUBJECT INDEX