Investment in early childhood care and education is important because….

Early investment provides the greatest return. The earlier in a child’s life that an ECD-related intervention is initiated, the greater the return on investment, with links to reduced inequality, higher wages, and ultimately, increased economic growth. Put another way, for every shilling spent on pre-primary programmes, there is a higher return on investment than the same amount spent at any other stage in the education cycle.

Heckman also states: It makes both financial and common sense to target disadvantaged children with quality early childhood programs rather than subsidise low quality universal programmes.