Trailer - Are We Crazy About Our Kids?

Economists rarely turn their attention to the world of early childhood and preschool. But with a wealth of scientific research pointing to the importance of a child’s earliest years, several economists are worried about our investments in early childhood—not because we’re investing too much, but because we’re spending too little where it matters most.

Are We Crazy About Our Kids? dives into studies by Nobel laureate James Heckman, former Federal Reserve economist Arthur Rolnick and others to find out what exactly are the costs and benefits of investing in high-quality early care and preschool.

From the Perry Preschool studies to the Abecedarian project to Quebec’s universal pre-K program to Salt Lake City’s ground-breaking preschool initiative, Are We Crazy About Our Kids? lays out the facts about high-quality early care: when we invest in our children’s earliest years, they do better in school, earn more in their jobs, pay more taxes and cost society less in social services.

Are We Crazy About Our Kids? challenges us to answer that very question: how crazy are we about our kids? Are we willing to invest today—or resigned to paying more tomorrow?