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
Early Education
Childcare Is Good for Mothers, and It’s Good for Kids, Too
Programs that provide care for children are good for women’s economic activity. More than 95 percent of studies in low—and middle-income countries show this, and studies in high-income countries show a similar pattern. For example, providing preschool in Argentina boosted mothers’ full-time employment. Providing daycare in Brazil boosted mothers’ work in the city of Sao Paulo … [Read more...] about Childcare Is Good for Mothers, and It’s Good for Kids, Too
Mental health in young children: what is it, and why is it important?
Certain mental health problems can emerge during early childhood and have serious, lifelong consequences for learning, social skills, and physical health. Children can develop disorders like anxiety, attention deficit disorder, impulse-control disorder, behavioral problems, depression, post-traumatic stress, and neurodevelopment disabilities, like autism, among others. Young … [Read more...] about Mental health in young children: what is it, and why is it important?
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
Community of Practice in Brazil: Prevention of Violence and Integration of Evidence into Early Childhood Policies
What topics are critical for children? How to build bridges between scientific knowledge and public policies for early childhood? What lessons have we learned and what challenges lie ahead? These questions were addressed during the third workshop of the Community of Practice in Early Childhood Development (ECD), which focused on childhood policies in Brazil and on finding … [Read more...] about Community of Practice in Brazil: Prevention of Violence and Integration of Evidence into Early Childhood Policies