A report by the National Academy of Sciences highlights the potential for economic evidence to inform investment decisions for interventions that support the health and well-being of children, youth, and families. The report describes challenges to the optimal use of economic evidence, and offers recommendations to promote lasting improvement in its quality, utility, and use. A distinguished group of scholars and practitioners produced the report, which was supported by MacArthur’s Power of Measuring Social Benefits initiative, which seeks to test the hypothesis that effective social policies that invest in individuals in need or at risk not only improve their life chances, but in many instances benefit the larger society and generate public returns long after assistance has ended.
