Low-income children lag behind better-off children in many developmental factors because of their socioeconomic status. These children lack investment in key nutritional, medical and educational factors. Gaps like these persist through life. A child who starts behind, stays behind. … [Read more...] about When Less Cash Benefits Children More
Florencia Lopez Boo
Florencia Lopez Boo is a Lead Economist in the IDB’s Social Protection and Health Division, where she works on child development and poverty reduction projects. She previously was a professor at the Université Catholique de Louvain in Belgium and worked at the World Bank and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization. She has a Doctorate in Economics from Oxford University (Clarendon-Oxford University Press Award). She is also a Research Associate for the Young Lives Project of Oxford University and the Institute of Labor Studies (IZA) in Bonn.
How Nudges can Help Improve Adult-Child Interactions
If you're like many people, “nudging” is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of “behavioral economics.” For example, "nudging" can help families eat healthier by making fruits and vegetables the most prominently featured item in the grocery store. Nudges and other types of low-cost tweaks to policy design have had some impressive impacts in Latin America and the … [Read more...] about How Nudges can Help Improve Adult-Child Interactions
Are Your Children Getting Quality Childcare Services?
The moment you pick up your children from the daycare center represents a window of opportunity to learn about how they spent their day without you. You can eagerly (and sometimes somewhat anxiously) ask the caregiver: Did my daughter drink her milk today? Did she take a nap after lunch? Did she quarrel with any of her classmates? … [Read more...] about Are Your Children Getting Quality Childcare Services?
Inaction In the Early Childhood Years Has a High Cost
Copyright © 2017. Interamerican Development Bank. If you wish to republish this article, please request authorization at sph-communication@iadb.org. By Florencia López-Boo. Para leer este artículo en español, haz click aquí. Poor child development has important consequences for the wellbeing of children in particular, and of society as a whole. Profound socioeconomic … [Read more...] about Inaction In the Early Childhood Years Has a High Cost
3 Steps to Measure Child Care Quality
By Florencia López-Boo. There is not enough evidence about the specific critical and cost-effective actions needed to improve child care quality in Latin America. In contrast with sectors such as primary education, in which the region has invested significant effort in collecting indicators on teacher quality, resources in schools, and levels of student learning (PISA), … [Read more...] about 3 Steps to Measure Child Care Quality