The Promise of Early Childhood Development in Latin America

Vegas, an education economist in the Human Development Department of the World Bank, and Santibanez, who is associated with a non-profit think tank in Mexico City focusing on education and public policy analysis, review early childhood development programs in Latin America and the Caribbean, including those related to education, health, and nutrition, and their design, implementation, policies, and institutionalization. They discuss the impact and policies of programs worldwide in developed and developing nations like the US, the Philippines, Uganda, Turkey, Vietnam, and those in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development; argue for greater investment in programs in Latin America and the Caribbean, while addressing the need for better evaluations and cost accounting; and examine the micro and macro context of early childhood development in these regions, the impact of programs on cognitive and socioemotional development, physical health, and well-being, and ways to develop a comprehensive policy. Annotation c2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)