September 11, 2009

A Proven Return on Investment: Economists and the Business Community Advance a Birth to Five Policy Agenda

Zero to Three: the National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families, compare the basic rule of finance to the educating small children. In the world of finance, professionals strive to yield the highest rate of return on their investment, while at the same time minimizing financial risk. Both scientists and economists agree that investing in early childhood is a critical and proven strategy to ensuring our nation's future economic success. Business leaders can invest in early childhood opportunities for young children to create a stable, educated workforce fueled by people who prioritize good health, strong families, and positive early learning experiences. Currently, the government is struggling with ballooning costs and declining tax revenue. Investing in the most vulnerable population - infants and toddlers - may take the back seat to more immediate needs, but this could be costly. Instead, if the government makes investments in early learning, they can ensure that infants, toddlers, and their families reap the immediate benefits of healthy development, and can ultimately contribute to the future strength of our labor force and the success of America. This article shines a light on the economic benefits of investing in the earliest years and provides a state example which demonstrates it in action.