The Productivity Argument for Investing in Young Children
Published By: NBER on eSS | Published Date: April, 26 , 2007This paper presents the case for investing more in young American children who grow up in disadvantaged environment. It is argued that, on productivity grounds, it makes sense to invest in young children from disadvantaged environments. Substantial evidence shows that these children are more likely to commit crime, have out-of-wedlock births and drop out of school. Early interventions that partially remediate the effects of adverse environments can reverse some of the harm of disadvantage and have a high economic return. They benefit not only the children themselves, but also their children, as well as society at large [NBER WP 13016].
Author(s): James J Heckman, Dimitriy V Masterov | Posted on: Jun 22, 2007 | Views(2525) | Download (157)