Parenting Is the Key to Early Development and Social Mobility — PART 1 (with James Heckman and Jorge Luis Garcia)

In this inaugural episode of the Center on Child and Family Policy's new podcast, Katharine Stevens interviews renowned economists James Heckman and Jorge Luis Garcia about their collaborative research on the transformational power of early childhood interventions to build human capital, and their new paper, "Parenting Promotes Social Mobility Within and Across Generations."

They discuss what's essential to conducting rigorous research in social science; why identifying the key mechanisms of effective programs is critical; how to evaluate the social efficiency of public spending; the promise of home visiting programs to improve child outcomes; and why we need to put families at the center of early childhood policy.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Parenting plays the crucial role in promoting early childhood development and social mobility.
• Effective early childhood programs improve interactions between parents and their young children, with long-lasting effects on both children and families.
• Home visiting programs are a cost-effective way to advance early childhood development.
• Public spending on social programs should prioritize interventions that engage and empower families.

ABOUT THE GUESTS

James Heckman is a Nobel-prize winning economist, a longtime professor at the University of Chicago, and director of the Center for the Economics of Human Development. He has devoted his professional life to understanding the origins of major social and economic problems as well as the economics of human flourishing. Learn more about Professor Heckman's work at: bit.ly/3YToVs0.

Jorge Luis Garcia is a professor of applied micro-economics at Clemson University. His research focuses on the intersection of labor and development economics, aiming to design and evaluate social policies that help develop the economic conditions of countries and people. Learn more about Professor Garcia's work at: bit.ly/44ruLlD.

RELATED WORK

• Read their new paper: "Parenting Promotes Social Mobility Within and Across Generations" at https://www.nber.org/papers/w30610.
• Listen to Part 2 of the conversation here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2148289/episodes/13417302#.

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