Traditionally, economists have focused on how to improve productivity and the ability to generate income by adult workers. But in the last two decades, the percentage of economists who work in the development of our youngest has been growing. The reason? Find out in this article. … [Read more...] about Why are economists so interested in ECD and what can they contribute to the field?
early childhood
Serve and Return: How to Build a Child’s Brain in 5 Easy Steps
Have you ever smiled back at a giggling baby or played peek-a-boo with a toddler? Did you know you were helping build connections in that child’s developing brain? At the Center on the Developing Child, we call these responsive interactions “serve and return” because they go back and forth—like players with a ball in a game of tennis or volleyball. … [Read more...] about Serve and Return: How to Build a Child’s Brain in 5 Easy Steps
An Early Start in the Most Challenging Circumstances
Ansumana sat listening intently to her teacher before playing happily with her friends when I met her earlier this year. Just three years old, she and her older brother Bandu are students at the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) early childhood class serving urban refugees in Kampala, Uganda. Their father, whom I spoke briefly with, told me they fled the Central African Republic … [Read more...] about An Early Start in the Most Challenging Circumstances
Investing in Health and Early Childhood Development in Paraguay Pays Big Dividends
Did you know that a single deposit of $2000 into a newborn baby’s retirement investment account could grow to over $220,000 on their 65th birthday, but if you wait to invest until they turn twenty, those $2000 become only about $50,000? That’s a $170,000 difference. These numbers show the magic of investing in Early Childhood Development (ECD), which can have a compounding … [Read more...] about Investing in Health and Early Childhood Development in Paraguay Pays Big Dividends
Put on Your Oxygen Mask First: How Self-compassion Improves Child Development
I am often told by my colleagues and friends that I am too harsh on myself and that I should have more self-compassion. I used to be quite unfamiliar with this concept. Self-compassion? Isn’t this a term people use to find excuses for themselves and be self-indulgent? … [Read more...] about Put on Your Oxygen Mask First: How Self-compassion Improves Child Development