title: A Framework for Valuing Investments in a Nurturing Society: Opportunities for Prevention Research.
abstract: Investing in strategies that aim to build a more nurturing society offers tremendous opportunities for the field of prevention science. Yet, scientists struggle to consistently take their research beyond effectiveness evaluations and actually value the impact of preventive strategies. Ultimately, it is clear that convincing policymakers to make meaningful investments in children and youth will require estimates of the fiscal impact of such strategies across public service systems. The framework offered here values such investments. First, we review current public spending on children and families. Then, we describe how to quantify and monetize the impact of preventive interventions. This includes a new measurement strategy for assessing multisystem service utilization and a price list for key service provision from public education, social services, criminal justice, health care and tax systems.
authors.affiliation: Prevention Economics Planning and Research Program, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA. dmc397@psu.edu.|National Prevention Science Coalition, University Park, PA, USA. dmc397@psu.edu.|The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA. dmc397@psu.edu.
authors.forename: Max
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-8956-3456
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Crowley
authors.affiliation: Prevention Economics Planning and Research Program, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA.|The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
authors.forename: Damon
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D000067576:Child Health / Q000191:economics*; D005192:Family Health / Q000191:economics*; D005380:Financing, Government / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000191:economics*
keywords: Family investment; Fiscal impact; Prevention; Public finance