The importance of investing in childhood: experts meet to discuss a path forward in Czechia
On Monday, the organization Platforma pro včasnou péči (“Early Care Platform”) hosted a roundtable discussion in the Chamber of Deputies to explore the importance of early childhood development and ways to make the Czech Republic a more family-friendly place. I went there to hear from a number of researchers and decision makers on what Czechs can do to help protect their children and set them up better for life.
The event brought together a number of speakers from across Czechia, including Tomáš Hradil, the Mayor of Krnov, as well as Petra Večerková, the director of Eurotopia and the current Deputy Mayor, and Czech linguist and politician Olga Richterová, among others. Participants also included representatives from community and family centers such as Chaloupka, Cesta ven, and HOST Home-Start ČR, alongside frontline workers who engage directly with families.
This discussion built on themes introduced at the recent Places to Grow Conference, where the value of investing in early childhood development (ECD) was the primary focus.
3% of Czech students don't even finish elementary school, that is to say nothing of those who do not complete high school. And in some regions the non-completion rate is even multiplied. Often these are the regions that are burdened with high poverty rates.
Since birth rates are deteriorating rapidly in Czechia, the researchers argue that it is vital to nurture the potential of each child to benefit society.
As the speakers argued, this can be done by providing an estimated annual support of 50,000 CZK (approximately €2,000) that the researchers have shown lead to better outcomes for children and society, at large.
The costs of not investing this money, they argue, are becoming evident. For example, an incomplete education can lead to public budget losses of about 13 million CZK (approximately €514,000) per individual over a lifetime. Therefore, addressing problems early is far less expensive than dealing with them later.
From a purely economic standpoint, every amount of money invested in children's development yields, on average, a fourfold return—and for children facing the most difficult starts in life, the return can be as high as ninefold. On top of the economic argument, of course, there are the intrinsic benefits of investing in early childhood development—which are impossible to deny.
