Our Publications
Explore, share, and use our rigorous evidence.
Publications
Laying the Foundations for Sustainable and Equitable Social Development: Early Childhood Development, the G20, and the Costs of Inaction
Proven solutions for children – Accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals and beyond
Fit for the Future: How a Rethink of the Human Capital Model is Needed in Africa to Optimise the Return on Social Spending
Assessing the Effectiveness of Complementary Investments into Cash Benefits and Care Services, Including Health Protection Mechanisms
The promise of universal child benefits: The foundational policy for economic and social development
This background report highlights the critical role of investing in early childhood development (ECD) to foster sustainable and equitable social development. It explores the G20’s past commitments to ECD and assesses the costs of government’s inaction since the 2018 G20 initiative for early child development. Findings reveal a disparity in ECD spending, with children in African Union countries receiving, on average, significantly less investment than their European counterparts. The report stresses that low ECD spending not only stymies poverty reduction efforts but also hinders maternal employment and undermines early educational outcomes. By demonstrating the long-term societal and economic costs of delayed ECD investment, this report underscores an urgent call for action from G20 nations to prioritize ECD for a more equitable future for all.
The Proven Solutions for Children policy brief, developed by UNICEF and the Learning for Well-being Institute, highlights evidence-based and cost-effective that deliver on child outcomes for children’s well-being. Key interventions include early childhood nutrition and development programmes, immunisation, quality secondary education for girls and child benefits. These policies are examples of solutions that can generate multiple outcomes and require urgent attention and prioritisation by governments to achieve widespread and lasting outcomes for children.
This policy note from UNICEF and the Learning for Well-being Institute examines how African governments allocate social spending for children, highlighting the need for greater investment in early childhood. Compared to G20 countries, where a larger share of resources supports young children, Africa’s spending priorities are more focused on older age groups. The note calls for rebalancing spending to better support the early years, which are crucial for long-term human capital development.
This brief presents evidence why European policymakers should prioritise child and youth mental health. It does so by exploring the prevalence of poor mental health in the European child population and how changing environments are influencing mental health issues. It was written on behalf of the Alliance for Childhood European Network Group, with support from Barbara Schiller and Francesco Zoccarato (StArt), and Olivier Piedfort and Russell Hurn (EMDR).
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This policy brief reviews global research on the impact of cash payments provided during pregnancy, on birth outcomes and longer-term outcomes for children, assessing whether targeting families prior to birth improves overall child well-being. It was published by the Centre on Poverty and Social Policy, Columbia University.
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This Social Protection Spotlight brief reviews evidence on how universal child benefits contribute to child poverty reduction. It identifies a set of policy design considerations, informed by international social security standards, intended to support countries considering establishing or enhancing universal child benefits. It was co-authored by the Learning for Well-being Institute, UNICEF and ILO, and published by ILO.
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