In his recent New York Times op-ed “Lifelines for Poor Children.”economist James Heckman takes a sweeping view of why quality early care must be a priority in our country.

“Quality early childhood programs for disadvantaged children are not “entitlements” or bottomless wells of social spending. They foster human flourishing and they improve our economic productivity in the process. There is no trade-off between equity and efficiency, as there is for other social programs. Early investment in the lives of disadvantaged children will help reduce inequality, in both the short and the long run.”

– Professor James Heckman

Professor Heckman’s piece appeared in a New York Times series called “The Great Divide.”