The Early Years

"The state's recognition of human rights should be inescapable. Society and government share the responsibility of encouraging younger generations to reach their full potential. Children are the present but, above all, the future of a nation. It is they who will go on to become productive, healthy, and socially responsible citizens. Whether that actually happens depends on the decisions we make today." - Tabare Ramon Vazquez Rosas, President of Uruguay "Child development remains a serious challenge for countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Designing more effective policies and programs to promote the welfare of children is a top priority. The Early Years provides an authoritative and up-to-date review of the state of children in the region and the evidence on what works to improve child development. It will become the necessary reference for all those interested in the topic and seeking solid analysis to inform policy debates on child development." - Ariel Fiszbein, Former Chief Economist of the Human Development Network, The World Bank "This book is essential reading for anyone involved with early child development in Latin America and the Caribbean, and shows that IDB is now a major player in the field. The book covers a full range of topics from the theory of child development to governance and investment. It includes IDB's own very useful research and summarizes the state of early childhood development in the region, including the achievements and limitations. Their recommendations for future policy and programs are practical and evidence-based, and hopefully will be acted upon by governments. Clearly, there is still a long way to go to attain the goal of a fair start for all children." - Sally Grantham-McGregor, Professor of International Child Health, University College London, UK

Policies for young children belong at the core of a country's development agenda, alongside policies to develop infrastructure and strengthen institutions.This book is open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 IGO license. 

The Early Years analyzes the development of Latin American and Caribbean children and makes a compelling case for government intervention in what is instinctively a family affair. Spending on effective programs for young children is an investment that, if done well, will have very high returns, while failure to implement such programs will lower the returns on the hefty investments being made in primary, secondary, and higher education. Policies for young children belong at the core of a country's development agenda, alongside policies to develop infrastructure and strengthen institutions. However, if the services provided (or funded) by governments are to benefit children, they must be substantially better than what is currently being delivered in the region. This book offers suggestions for improving public policy in this critical area.