Discussion Paper: An Illustrative Model for Estimating the Cost Savings Supported by Early Years Programme Intervention

The Data for Children Collaborative partnered with Elevate Great, Aberlour, the Fraser of Allander Institute, and the University of Dundee to evaluate the Aberlour Early Years Outreach Programme. The aim was to test a more flexible, illustrative evaluation approach that could help other third-sector organisations demonstrate both value-for-money and broader societal benefits. This discussion paper brings together the learnings from this evaluation process, reflecting on the challenges that third-sector organisations face in quantifying the impacts of early years and preventative services. The paper highlights lessons learned throughout the evaluation that could help other third-sector organisations, commissioners, and funders improve how early-years and preventative services are evaluated- particularly when impact is broad, long-term, and not easily captured using conventional methods. While this paper does not provide a conclusive economic valuation of Aberlour’s Early Years Outreach Programme, it contributes to the ongoing conversation about how the evaluation landscape for early years and preventative services could be strengthened.