Big Wins for Early Childhood
An Investment Guide for Ministers of Finance and Planning
The strongest investments governments can make – and what they deliver
Every child deserves a healthy start. But for millions of families around the world, the support they need during those critical early years – the right healthcare, childcare and income – is simply out of reach.
Governments are experiencing an era of global crises, bringing new demands to already constrained budgets. Families are feeling the pressure. The rising cost of living is making it harder for parents to provide the nurturing care their children need in the years that matter most.
The Big Wins for Early Childhood research by NYU Global TIES and Act for Early Years, with short- term analysis by the Learning for Well-being Institute, is designed to help governments make smart decisions around investing in young children and the future. Led by Professor Florencia Lopez Boo of NYU Global Ties, it identifies a set of proven interventions that deliver measurable results for children, families and economies, and that policymakers can act on now.
What are the Big Wins?
The Big Wins are a collection of early childhood interventions that have been rigorously tested at scale across low and middle-income countries and organised around three Campaign Goals: Primary Healthcare, Early Learning and Preschool, and Support for Families.
Each win has been chosen for its strong evidence of impact and clear value for money.
Together they form a practical guide for Ministers of Finance and Planning, with clear answers to the questions that matter most: what works, what it costs, and what it delivers.
The guide also highlights ‘Best Bets’: interventions that show real promise but need wider evidence base before they can be measured at scale.
Big Wins in Primary Healthcare
Immunisations: the full recommended schedule of vaccines for young children, at a cost of $88 per child per year.
Nutritional Support: essential nutrients for children from birth to 36 months, costing $70 per child per year with returns of $25 on every $1 invested.
Big Wins in Early Learning
Preschool: quality early education and care for children aged three to school age, costing $77 per child per year in low-income settings with returns of $12 on every $1 invested.
Childcare: centre-based care and learning for children aged zero to three, supporting child development and parents returning to work, costing $332 per child per year with returns of $4 on every $1 invested.
Big Wins in Support for Families
Parent and Caregiver Coaching: supporting parents and caregivers at home to give their children the best start through improved nurturing and play, costing $300 per child per year — with returns of $5 on every $1 invested.
Cash Transfers: direct payments to families to strengthen household income and improve access to services, costing $15 per child per year with returns of $12 on every $1 invested.
In-person and Virtual Support for Parents and Caregivers: flexible combinations of in-person and virtual support, costing $246 per child per year with returns of $12 on every $1 invested.
Best Bets in Primary Health Care
Growth Monitoring: regular tracking of a child’s weight, height, and development to identify health concerns early.
Antenatal Care: essential health checks, information, and support for pregnant women to ensure a safe pregnancy and healthy birth.
Best Bets in Support for Families
Parental Leave: paid, job-protected time off for parents following the birth or adoption of a child.
Parenting Groups: group sessions supporting parents and caregivers to strengthen nurturing practices and child development at home.
Why early childhood investment matters so much
The first years of a child’s life are unlike any other. From pregnancy through to the early years, the brain develops faster than at any other stage.
When foundations are strong, children are more likely to thrive in school, find work and contribute to their communities.
Across low-income countries, failing to invest in the early years costs more than 3.5% of GDP on average, and exceeds 15% in some. These are not abstract projections. They’re measurable losses in human potential.
The numbers speak for themselves
What makes the Big Wins distinctive is that they combine impact with affordability. Early nutrition programmes can generate returns of up to $18 median for every $1 invested. Preschool education delivers around $12 for every $1 invested. Parenting programmes, at lower cost, produce meaningful gains in child development.
For governments seeking social and economic progress, early childhood investment is one of the most powerful tools available.
The impact starts sooner than you think
The long-term case for investing in the early years is well established. But this research also shows that the benefits don’t take decades to arrive.
Modelling suggests that policies such as universal child benefits can lift 1.09 million children out of poverty, bring 4.16 million additional women into employment, and put 915,000 more children in early education – all within the first year of implementation (Richardson et al., 2026).
For policymakers working within short political cycles, that matters. Early years investment delivers now, as well as for the future.
From evidence to action
In 2027, governments, international organisations, businesses and partners will come together at the first International Financing Summit for Early Childhood to make concrete commitments to invest in young children.
This research gives those commitments a foundation. It shows clearly where investment can have the greatest impact, and how it can connect to broader national priorities, from economic growth to gender equality.
The evidence is there. The question now is what we do with it.
What can I do to help?
Join the movement by asking your minister, mayor, MP or community leader to sign the ‘Minifesto’ today, and demand urgent action in the early years.
