Sacramento Head Start Alumni Association

Fostering Human Capital: Invest in the Very Young

Jul 23, 2002

When does a Nobel laureate economist think toddlerhood is important? When he concludes that early care and nurturance, supported by strong early childhood programs, are the most cost-efficient investments we can make for future productivity. James J. Heckman argues that critical social skills established in the earliest years -- like communicating one's needs and confidence in one's abilities -- are key to early learning and early success, which in turn provide the foundation for later school learning and adult success.
http://www.jcpr.org/policybriefs/vol2_num1.html