The Early Years: Child Well-being and the Role of Public Policy

Child well-being matters for both ethical and economic reasons as children who flourish in the early years are more likely to become healthy, productive citizens later in life. This year's edition of Development in the Americas (DIA) focuses on the well-being of children from conception to 8 years of age and makes the case for public intervention in improving child outcomes. The process of child development - physical, communicational, cognitive, and socio-emotional - does not unfold on its own, but is shaped by the experiences children accumulate at home, in daycare centers, and at school. Parents, relatives, other caregivers, teachers, and government all have a hand in shaping those experiences. This book offers suggestions for public policy to improve those experiences in ways that would certainly shape children's lives and the face of the societies they live in for years to come.