What Is the Payoff of Economic Research for Early Childhood Policy?
Over the past two decades, scientific discoveries in neuroscience, developmental psychology, and program evaluation have transformed the way researchers, policymakers, and the public think about early childhood. These discoveries have been interpreted to suggest that early childhood furnishes a window of opportunity for enriching the inputs in children’s lives and a window of vulnerability to poverty and dysfunctional home environments. Yet another field—economics—has also played an increasingly prominent role in discussions about early childhood policy. Over the past decade or so, RAND Corporation researchers have been instrumental in translating some of the insights from economics into practical guidance that policymakers can use when it comes to crafting early childhood policy. In a new synthesis document, RAND researchers step back and discuss some key insights that the field of economics can bring to early childhood policy. Understanding the Importance of Human Capital Theory Curr
