Early Years 101
Why the early years matter
Every child deserves the best possible start in life.
The early years – from pregnancy to around age five – are when the foundations for health, learning, and wellbeing are laid. What happens during this short window shapes a child’s chances not just at school, but throughout their entire life.
What do we mean by “the early years”?
The early years refer to the period from pregnancy through to early childhood, when children’s brains and bodies develop at extraordinary speed. During this time, children need nurturing care: good health and nutrition, responsive caregiving, early learning opportunities, and protection from harm.
Nurturing care is the foundation for children to survive, learn and thrive (World Health Organisation and UNICEF). Where these conditions are present, children are more likely to reach their full potential. Where they are missing, the consequences can last a lifetime.
Why is this window so critical?
Around 90% of brain development happens before the age of five, at a speed never again matched. In these early years, children’s brains are forming connections that shape how they think, learn, communicate and manage emotions.
This makes the early years a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Experiences in these years – positive or negative – have a powerful and lasting impact. When children grow up with good nutrition, healthcare and opportunities to learn and play, they are more likely to develop the skills they need to thrive throughout life.
When these foundations are missing, the effects can be lifelong. Gaps that emerge earlier are much harder – and far more expensive – to address later on.
The global gap: who is being left behind?
In 2015, governments committed to ensuring that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care, and pre-primary education by 2030. Despite this global commitment, access to early childhood care, development, and learning remains deeply unequal. In low- and middle-income countries, 181 million children — nearly three quarters of all three and four-year-olds — still lack access to adequate nurturing care.
Inclusive and quality early childhood care and education are vital for promoting school readiness, foundational learning, and lifelong wellbeing. Yet more than 300 million children are at risk of not achieving minimum proficiency levels in reading by the end of primary school in the next decade.
These gaps are not random. Children living in poverty, those affected by conflict or crisis, and children with disabilities are far more likely to miss out. Barriers such as cost, distance, discrimination, and lack of quality inclusive services mean that children who would benefit most from early support are the least likely to receive it.
When inequality takes hold this early, it shapes children’s lives long before they have a chance to make choices for themselves.
Why early years investment benefits everyone
When children thrive in their earliest years, the benefits extend far beyond childhood. Strong foundations in health, nutrition, care and early learning shape outcomes across lifetimes, influencing physical and mental health, social participation, and long-term wellbeing.
Decades of research show that early investment reduces inequality at its source by addressing development risks before they compound. This reduces the need for more intensive and costly interventions later on, including in health, education and social systems.
As a result, investment in the early years delivers some of the highest social and economic returns of any public policy investment – not through short-term gains, but through sustained improvements in life outcomes that strengthen communities and economies over time.
What is the short-term impact of investing in Early Years?
As well as the long-term benefits to the child, investing in the early years brings dramatic short-term impacts for society. Analysis shows that universal parental leave benefits – those available to all mothers regardless of employment status – have significant positive effects on reducing child poverty and increasing women’s participation in the workforce.
Our analysis also shows the impact of investing in universal childcare services that are available to all families, including those with low or no income, and job seekers or trainees.
Countries with universal childcare policies saw a marked increase in women’s participation in the workforce in the medium and long term. This means more women entering work and contributing to economic growth.
Evidence in action: the Perry Preschool Study
In the 1960s, the Perry Preschool Project followed a group of children from disadvantaged backgrounds who received high-quality early childhood education and care, comparing their outcomes with those who did not. Participants were tracked into adulthood over several decades. Led by Nobel Prize-winning economist James Heckman, the study found that children who received quality early support experienced better health, higher earnings and greater life stability well into middle age. They were also less likely to experience unemployment or involvement with the criminal justice system.
The findings showed that investing early improved outcomes not only for individual children, but also for families, communities, and society over time.
Progress is possible – and it’s happening
In recent years, governments have begun to place early childhood at the heart of national priorities – from health and educational reform to social protection and crisis response.
This reflects growing recognition that early investment delivers substantial returns. Evidence shows that every US $1 invested in early childhood care and development can generate returns of up to US $17 for the most disadvantaged children, through improved life outcomes, health and reduced costs to public systems later on.
The challenge now is not knowing what works but ensuring that proven approaches reach every child who needs them.
What Act For Early Years is calling for
To give every child the best possible start in life, Act for Early Years calls for action around three essential foundations:
- Universal access to quality primary health care across pregnancy, birth, and early childhood.
- Universal access to quality, inclusive preschool education
- Universal support for families and caregivers, including affordable childcare, child benefits, and parenting support
These are not luxuries or optional add-ons. They are the building blocks of fairer, healthier, and more prosperous societies – and they must be in place for every child, everywhere.
