Publication: No Small Matter : The Impact of Poverty, Shocks, and Human Capital Investments in Early Childhood Development
Date
2011-02-24
ISSN
Published
2011-02-24
Author(s)
Alderman, Harold
Abstract
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.
Citation
“Alderman, Harold. 2011. No Small Matter : The Impact of
Poverty, Shocks, and Human Capital Investments in Early
Childhood Development. Human Development Perspectives. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/2266 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”