Opportunities for Public Health to Enhance Early Childhood Development
Nobel Laureate in Economics, James J. Heckman, emphasizes the return on investment from early childhood development. “The Heckman Equation” identifies birth to five years of age as “a critical time to shape productivity, when the brain develops rapidly, building the foundation of cognitive and character skills necessary to succeed in school, health, career and life.”[1] Noting that “skills beget skills,” an emphasis on early childhood development results in benefits not only to the individual, but to taxpayers including reduced welfare and crime and increased tax revenue.
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[1] The Heckman Equation. Invest in early childhood development: Reduce deficits, strengthen the economy. www.heckmanequation.org, accessed May 30, 2012
