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About

Children’s early experiences play an important role in how they grow, learn, and thrive throughout their lives. But not all children get a fair start. The decisions we make as societies can influence the opportunities and advantages that some children get over others.

This study seeks to understand the role of early years policies in creating best starts for children, including what policies may reduce inequalities in children’s development. We will compare trends in child development and inequalities over the past 15 years in BC and a comparison population in Victoria, Australia, which introduced free universal pre-kindergarten in 2020.

Using population-wide Early Development Instrument (EDI) data collected in both jurisdictions, we will assess whether differences in early years policies are associated with child development outcomes and how policy reforms can help reduce inequalities in children’s development.

Principal Investigators

• Kim Thomson and Nicole L.A. Catherine

Funders

• Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council

Project Partners

• Deakin Lifespan Institute, Deakin University, Australia