Quantitative analysis of the Greater Saint John Early Childhood Hubs

Abstract

The Greater Saint John Early Childhood Hubs play an important role in the city of Saint John, New Brunswick by providing low-income families with early childhood development opportunities – like preschool services – they may not otherwise have had access to. By removing financial hurdles, the Hubs make preschool support more accessible for families in need.

To determine whether the Early Childhood Hubs preschool program (known informally as the “Hubs program”) is reaching those who need it most, it is important to understand who is using it, including participants’ demographic and socioeconomic circumstances. Understanding the traits of who might attend in the future can help plan and deliver more targeted services moving forward.

To this end, this study examines the traits of Hubs program participants, as well as the potential effects of participating in the program. It attempts to answer three key questions: 1. What are the characteristics of families and children participating in the Hubs program as compared to non-participants? 2. Based on statistical modeling and participant data measured before the start of the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 Hubs programs, are there characteristics that can help us understand which families are more likely to sign up for the Hubs program? 3. Is there an association between participating in the Hubs program and access to health services (demonstrated, for example, through visits to hospital Emergency Departments)?