Raising Children: The Case for Government Intervention

Abstract

Well-being is "the state of being happy, healthy, or prosperous," according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. The Early Years: Child Well-Being and the Role of Public Policy focuses on the well-being of children in the early years of their lives, from conception to approximately 9 years of age. Scientists in the fields of biology, psychology, and economics have a clear view of what outcomes (and trajectories) define a happy, healthy, and potentially prosperous child; they are discussed in this chapter. What is less clear is how to raise children in order to achieve these outcomes and who should be involved in that process. Why should the government be directly involved in the welfare of children?