It’s absolutely right to argue that childcare in the US should be treated as a public good, rather than a private test of families’ financial resilience (Opinion, September 17). By placing the burden of childcare entirely on families, government and policymakers are ignoring the overwhelming evidence that investing in the early years benefits everyone, including the business community.
Too often, the case for early years investment is dismissed due to the flawed assumption that the returns won’t be realised for decades. This short-sighted thinking is endemic across the world, with most countries spending far less on children in the age group birth to six years old than on those in the 6-11 age group or 12-17 age group.
Yet bold action from world leaders could achieve a great deal in just a few years. New research we’ve conducted at Theirworld, the global children’s charity, found that if G20 countries had increased spending on childcare and child benefits by just 0.6 per cent between 2018 and 2021, 16.7mn children across the world could have been lifted out of poverty. No wonder that childcare, tax credits and paid leave are featuring so strongly in the US presidential election campaign.
Around the world, forward-thinking businesses are recognising the benefits, both to their staff and to their bottom line, of investing in family-friendly policies, including in affordable, quality childcare. It is also particularly encouraging that developing country leaders are appreciating the importance of the early years. Brazil is establishing a new national early childhood policy, while the African Union is prioritising early childhood development as a pillar of its “human capital” strategy.
But this isn’t enough. We need greater momentum to turn promises and commitments into action and policies that will transform the prospects of the world’s children under six. That’s why in New York this week, at the UN General Assembly, we’re calling for the first ever international financing summit for the early years. National leaders must be bold and start treating their youngest children as an investment and not a cost.
Justin van Fleet
Chair of Theirworld; and Chief Executive
Global Business Coalition for Education
New York, NY, US
