No Small Matter: The Impact of Poverty, Shocks, and Human Capital Investments in Early Childhood Development (Human Development Perspectives)

Annotation Education is often seen as a fundamental means to improve economic prospects for individuals from low income settings. However, even with increased emphasis on basic education for all, many individuals fail to achieve basic skills to succeed in life. The book presents evidence that one core reason is that by the time a child is old enough to attend school, there is already a wide disparity in cognitive skills and in emotional and behavioral development among children from households of different socioeconomic backgrounds. Low levels of cognitive development in early childhood strongly correlate with low socio-economic status (as measured by wealth and parental education) as well as malnutrition. These disadvantages are often exacerbated by economic crises. Fortunately, however, as documented in this volume, there are programs that have proven effective in promoting a child's development through caregiver-child interaction and stimulation, and with well designed preschool programs. While preschool programs currently cover a modest share of low income children, expansion of such services to at risk populations is a cost-effective means of improving overall educational achievement. Thus, focused preschool programs can serve as a key investment in a strategy to reduce the transmission of poverty from poor parents to their children

The relative lack of attention to early childhood development in many developing countries remains a puzzle, and an opportunity. There is increasing evidence that investments in the nutritional, cognitive, and socio-emotional development of young children have high payoffs. Researchers and development practitioners are building on this evidence to raise the topic's profile and bring it to the attention of decision makers. This volume is an important contribution to these efforts. It thoroughly and carefully reviews the most recent empirical literature linking early childhood development outcomes, poverty, and shocks. In doing so, it brings an added perspective to the debate and makes the case that investments in the first years of life have the potential to be a critical component of poverty reduction strategies. The volume also goes beyond simply documenting the consequences of insufficient or inadequate focus on early childhood and identifies the range of policy options available to policy makers. The Human Development Perspectives series seeks to present thorough research findings on issues of critical strategic importance for developing countries. At its core is the perspective that investments in human capital are an essential aspect of efforts to promote global development and eradicate poverty. This volume makes it convincingly clear that investing in and protecting the human capital of young children is no small matter.

No Small Matter: The Impact of Poverty, Shocks, and Human Capital Investments in Early Childhood Development documents how the cycle from poverty to poor economic prospects begins in early childhood and illustrates how the cycle may be broken. The book thoroughly reviews the most recent empirical literature linking early childhood development outcomes, poverty, and shocks, making the case that investment in programs addressing the first years of life can be a critical component of poverty reduction strategies. The book identifies programs that have proven effective in promoting early childhood development, focusing especially on expanding preschool programs to at-risk populations as a cost-effective means of improving educational achievement. Of great interest to policy makers, academics, and practitioners tackling the problem of inequality and poverty reduction, this book assesses early childhood development programs from the dual perspectives of equity and efficiency. It includes chapters on cognitive development among young children in low-income countries, the influence of economic crises and other extreme events on early childhood development, promoting equity through early interventions, and the convergence of equity and efficiency in early childhood development programs Cognitive development among young children in low-income countries -- The influence of economic crisis on early childhood development : a review of pathways and measured impact -- Conflicts, epidemics and orphanhood : the impact of extreme events on the health and educational achievements of children -- Promoting equity through early child development interventions for children from birth through three years of age -- The convergence of equity and efficiency in ECD programs.