The first five years of life are a unique window of opportunity: extensive research confirms the lasting effect of investments during this period on later economic success and well-being, including labor market earnings and risky behaviors in adulthood. This is why early childhood development (ECD) policies have an unparalleled rate of effectiveness to strengthen human capital … [Read more...] about Unequal From the Beginning (…and for Quite Some Time): A Longitudinal Study of Socioeconomic Gaps in Early Childhood in 5 Latin American Countries
Florencia Lopez Boo
Florencia Lopez Boo is a leading economist in the IDB's Social Protection and Health Division, where she works on child development and poverty reduction projects. She was a professor at the University of Louvain and worked at the World Bank and UNIDO. She has a PhD in Economics from Oxford University (Clarendon-Oxford University Press award). She is also a Young Lives Research Associate at the University of Oxford and the Institute for Labor Studies (IZA) in Bonn. Twitter: @florlopezboo
Extreme Heat and Its Impact on Early Child Development: How Can We Protect Young Children?
Climate change affects children’s development in different ways and extreme heat is a crucial factor that must be kept in mind. Last year – 2023 – was estimated to be the hottest year on record, ever since temperatures began to be recorded. Heat waves are occurring with greater frequency and lasting for longer periods of time. We are experiencing much higher temperatures than … [Read more...] about Extreme Heat and Its Impact on Early Child Development: How Can We Protect Young Children?
International Day for the Eradication of Poverty & Early Childhood: How to innovate with impact?
Poverty is not just a lack of income: It is a multidimensional phenomenon comprising the satisfaction of multiple needs that are not necessarily related to financial resources. But, what does this have to do with Early Childhood Development? Although there are still knowledge gaps, the evidence is compelling: quality investments in early childhood are the most effective … [Read more...] about International Day for the Eradication of Poverty & Early Childhood: How to innovate with impact?
5 Steps Toward Generating Policy-oriented Data on Access to Quality Early Childhood Services
How do we know if childcare centers, preschools and home visits are effectively preparing children for school? How do we know if these services actually promote child development in young children? The question of how to measure access to quality services has been present in academia and policy for decades. So, where do we stand today and how should we move forward? In … [Read more...] about 5 Steps Toward Generating Policy-oriented Data on Access to Quality Early Childhood Services
Climate change and its impact on young children: there’s no time to lose
The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child recently adopted General Comment 26 on children’s right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment. This comment emphasizes how climate change and environmental degradation jeopardize the rights of children in general. It calls for urgent action to protect those who are most vulnerable. What is climate change and … [Read more...] about Climate change and its impact on young children: there’s no time to lose