Investing in Children:What Do We Know? What Should We Do?

In October 1998, we convened scholars, policy makers, and practitionersto review what we know about the processes that affect childdevelopment and how we might wisely increase public and privateinvestments in children to promote both their well-being and theproductivity of the next generation. The conference, held at ColumbiaUniversity in New York and sponsored by the Ford Foundation’sProgramme on Asset Building and Community Development, broughttogether US psychologists, economists, sociologists, demographers,political scientists, social workers, and medical doctors. We began byexamining current investments in children and how they affect thedevelopment of the skills and competencies children need to succeed asadults in work, family, and society. Then we reviewed and synthesisedwhat we have learned about childhood interventions from birth tocollege and what further investments in children are required, especiallyfor disadvantaged children. In this paper, we review the background tothe conference, summarise the findings of the conference, and outlineour views regarding a number of key investments.[...]