Investing in Early Childhood Development: the Potential Benefits and Cost Savings

Early childhood development (ECD) has been recognised as a key contributor to positive outcomes in school and in adulthood. However, questions remain as to its cost-effectiveness and financial sustainability in the African context. This paper tries to answer some of these questions by reviewing the potential benefits of ECD programmes in three areas: education, health and adulthood. The review is supplemented by summaries of cost-benefit studies and a general discussion of the costing and funding issues.