How much does the region invest in its socio-emotional future? Resources and Programs for Early Childhood in Latin America and the Caribbean

Children's early experiences and relationships in the first years of life are critical for development. Programs that promote early development are fundamental to improve physical and mental health outcomes in adult life, and the cost of not doing something is excessively high. Public spending on socio-emotional health, as an indicator of the importance given by countries to guarantee comprehensive development and compliance with children's rights, constitutes an effort that has been developed heterogeneously in Latin America and the Caribbean. This article seeks to analyze the levels, evolution, and composition of public social spending on early childhood in countries of the Region. Likewise, the article inquires about the experiences of the programs available through public social spending. As can be seen, social policies related to early childhood represent only between 0.1 and 0.6 points percentage of GDP in each country analyzed. Within the diversity of types of programs, those specifically designed for early childhood (GEPI) represents the highest proportions in the countries analyzed. Chile is positioned over the average of social spending compared to the rest of Latin America in terms of the total magnitude of public spending on early childhood. However, the scenario changes when it is compared in relation to the OECD countries and when the scope of the actions are evaluated.