The promise that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) hold is of an equitable, healthier, and viable world by 2030. And behind the ambitious 17 goals of SDGs lies one simple truth: human development begins long before school or jobs—it begins in the earliest years of life. Early Childhood Development (ECD) encompasses services like health, nutrition, protection, early learning, and responsive caregiving, and is the bedrock on which every society builds its future. Neuroscience, economics, and social policy all converge on this fact: the first five years of life are the most critical period for shaping lifelong outcomes.
And yet, despite overwhelming evidence, ECD remains under-prioritized in many parts of the world. This must change because without investing in the early years, the SDGs will remain out of reach.
The Science is Clear: Why Early Years Matter Most
- Brain Development Window: By age 5, over 90% of brain growth has already taken place. Neural connections form at a pace never repeated in later years—up to 1 million new connections every second in the first three years.
- Toxic Stress vs. Nurture: Chronic poverty, neglect, malnutrition, and violence disrupt brain architecture. Conversely, responsive caregiving and nurturing environments strengthen resilience, empathy, and problem-solving.
- The “Heckman Curve”: Nobel laureate James Heckman showed that investments in ECD yield returns of 7–13% per annum, higher than any other stage of education, due to improved health, productivity, and reduced social costs.
In essence: What happens in early childhood does not stay in early childhood—it echoes for a lifetime.
ECD and the SDGs: The Hidden Web of Connections
While only Target 4.2 of SDG 4 explicitly mentions early childhood (“…all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education”), the truth is that ECD underpins nearly every goal.
- SDG 1: No Poverty : Breaking intergenerational poverty begins with ensuring that children grow up well-nourished, educated, and supported. Without ECD, poverty perpetuates itself.
- SDG 2: Zero Hunger : Nutrition in the first 1,000 days prevents stunting and wasting—conditions that permanently impair learning and earning potential. Providing each child with nutritious healthy food is the basic step to achieve adequate ECD
- SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being : Access to immunizations, maternal health, and preventive care in early years reduces child mortality and builds the foundation of lifelong well-being and strong nations
- SDG 4: Quality Education : School readiness—language skills, executive function, emotional regulation—depends heavily on early experiences. The preconcepts of numbers, words and communication are laid out in the early learning classrooms, leading towards higher school achievements
- SDG 5: Gender Equality : Girls with access to ECD are more likely to complete education, hence contributing to female literacy. Moreover, if ECD services are available, these childcare services free women to participate in the workforce, directly advancing gender equity.
- SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth : A skilled, healthy workforce originates in the early years. Countries investing in ECD accrue long-term productivity gains.
- SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities : Quality early interventions level the playing field for disadvantaged groups, reducing inequities across life.
Put simply: success on achieving SDG is compromised without ECD interventions
The Economics of ECD: From Cost to Investment
Many policymakers still see childcare and early education as welfare spending. But the data proves otherwise:
- Global ROI: Each $1 invested in ECD can yield $8–$16 in long-term benefits through better education, higher earnings, and reduced social costs.
- Case Study: Jamaica : A long-term study of stunted toddlers given psychosocial stimulation in the 1980s found that by adulthood, they earned 25% more than peers who did not receive the intervention.
- Case Study: Vietnam’s Learning Clubs (2024) : A cost-benefit analysis found a 5.5:1 benefit cost ratio, driven by improved maternal and child health, early learning, and later productivity.
- Business Impact: The World Bank notes that economies lose trillions annually due to poor early childhood investments—through lost earnings, increased health burdens, and crime-related costs.
For entrepreneurs, this creates space for innovation:
- Impact investing to blend financial and social returns.
- Social impact bonds to align incentives with measurable child outcomes.
- EdTech solutions to scale quality learning across geographies.
ECD is not an expense. It is an economic multiplier, an equality accelerator, and a peacebuilding strategy.
The Reality Check: Underfunding and Inequity
Despite the evidence, global spending tells another story. In low-income settings, a small public funds allocation is made for the learning and development in the first six years of life. Most resources flow to later stages of education, missing the most critical window of opportunity.
- In low-income countries, less than 7% of education budgets go to the early years.
- Globally, less than 2% of humanitarian aid is allocated to ECD.
- Millions of children under 5 still lack access to quality childcare, nutrition, or safe environments.
The result? A “developmental divide” where children born in poverty enter school already far behind, perpetuating cycles of inequality.
The Systems Approach: Moving Beyond Silos
ECD is not only about preschool. It is about integrated systems across health, nutrition, protection, and education.
Geeta Chopra (2025), in Systems Approach to Early Childhood Development, argues that:
- Fragmented services fail children.
- Effective ECD requires policy coherence, inter-sectoral collaboration, and community- based approaches.
- Scaling must balance quantity with quality—expansion without adequate training and monitoring undermines impact.
A systems approach ensures that every child receives holistic care—not as a matter of charity, but as a matter of rights.
ECD in Action: Innovations and Pathways
Across the globe, countries are rethinking ECD to accelerate SDGs:
- Cuba: Comprehensive, universal early childhood programs integrated into health and education systems, producing some of the best child health outcomes in the developing world.
- India: The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) provides nutrition, health, and preschool education, though challenges remain in quality and coverage.
- Rwanda: Community-based parenting programs train caregivers in responsive care, nutrition, and early learning, significantly improving child outcomes.
Private Sector Innovations:
- Impact Bonds funding ECD in South Africa.
- EdTech apps for low-cost early learning in Africa and Asia.
- Employer-supported childcare to improve workforce participation.
These examples show that ECD solutions must be context-driven but universally prioritized.
The Call to Action: Why ECD Cannot Wait
The evidence is overwhelming. The economics are compelling. The moral imperative is undeniable. What remains is political and societal will.
For Governments:
- Allocate at least 10% of education budgets to early years.
- Integrate ECD in national SDG strategies.
- Build quality standards and invest in workforce training.
>For Educators:
- Champion play-based, inclusive pedagogy.
- Collaborate across sectors (health, nutrition, social protection).
- Engage parents and communities as equal partners.
>For Investors and Entrepreneurs:
- See ECD as an impact frontier—a space where financial, social, and developmental returns converge.
- Innovate with scalable models (low-cost childcare, digital tools, nutrition delivery).
- Partner with governments to fill gaps and scale solutions.
Final Word
Early Childhood Development is not a “nice-to-have”—it is the first building block of sustainable development, peace, and prosperity. The time to act is not tomorrow. It begins at birth.
As UNICEF puts it: The success of the 2030 Agenda depends on the progress of the youngest children. ECD is not just about children—it’s about building nations, economies, and futures. The earlier we start, the stronger the return for us all.
If we want equitable societies, stronger economies, and a more sustainable world, the choice is clear: Invest early, invest smart, invest in every child.
References
- Black, M. M., Walker, S. P., Fernald, L. C. H., et al. (2017). Early childhood development coming of age: science through the life course. The Lancet, 389(10064), 77–90.
- Carneiro, P., & Heckman, J. J. (2003). Human capital policy. IZA Discussion Paper No. 821.
- Chopra, G. (2025). Systems Approach to Early Childhood Development: Bridging Theory, Policy and Practice. Singapore: Springer Nature.
- Heckman, J. J. (2008). Schools, Skills and Synapses. Economic Inquiry, 46(3), 289–324.
- Richter, L., Daelmans, B., Lombardi, J., et al. (2017). Investing in the foundation of sustainable development. The Lancet, 389(10064), 103–118.
- UNICEF. (2017). Early Moments Matter for Every Child. New York: UNICEF.
- UNICEF. (2023). Progress on Children’s Well-being: Centring child rights in the 2030 Agenda.
- UNICEF, WHO, & World Bank. (2021). Levels and Trends in Child Malnutrition.
- World Bank. (2024). Investments in Children’s Early Years: Creating Brighter Futures.
- Zhen, F., et al. (2024). Cost-benefit analysis of ‘Learning Clubs’: An early childhood development intervention in Vietnam. BMC Public Health, 24(1), 746.
Final Note for Readers:
Strengthening Early Childhood Development services is not an expense; it is an investment. Every child we support today becomes a stronger citizen, a more capable worker, and a more compassionate leader tomorrow. By placing ECD at the heart of our SDG efforts, we don’t just prepare children for the future—we prepare the future itself.
By Prof. (Dr.) Geeta Chopra,
Founder, EveryChild EveryAbility (ECEA) and Former Professor, University of Delhi With inputs from Ms. Shreya Bhardwaj, Team ECEA