The United States needs to rethink its approach to early childhood education and care (ECEC) based on the experiences of innovative systems around the world and develop a cohesive system that is high-quality, equitable, sustainable and efficient. This is the principal finding of the groundbreaking study from the National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE), The Early Advantage.

The #MeToo movement has been a powerful force since it went viral in October 2017. For some women survivors of sexual harassment and abuse, it has been a time of reckoning and of rallying around one another. #MeToo has also played an important role making the invisible more visible.

The moment you pick up your children from the daycare center represents a window of opportunity to learn about how they spent their day without you. You can eagerly (and sometimes somewhat anxiously) ask the caregiver: Did my daughter drink her milk today? Did she take a nap after lunch? Did she quarrel with any of her classmates?

However, even with that, what do you really know about the care your children are getting?

Latin America and the Caribbean is aging at an unprecedented rate. In 1960, 3.8% of the population was over 65 years old. By 2015, this percentage had increased to 7.2% and it is expected that by 2040 it will be 14.4%.

Some Latin American and Caribbean countries face certain socio-political conditions that hinder people’s ability to live in a healthy environment and access health services that meet their needs. In addition, countries in the region face important challenges to improve quality, equity and results in health due, in part, to limits on financial resources, infrastructure and a qualified health workforce.

Did you know that a single deposit of $2000 into a newborn baby’s retirement investment account could grow to over $220,000 on their 65th birthday, but if you wait to invest until they turn twenty, those $2000 become only about $50,000? That’s a $170,000 difference. These numbers show the magic of investing in Early Childhood Development (ECD), which can have a compounding impact over a person’s lifetime.

When I tell my friends and family that I go to Barbados to work with the Ministry of Education, the looks usually tell a story of disbelief. “Work? Yeah, right” – is the answer as they picture me sitting under a palm tree looking at the sea.