‘Opportunities,’ not poverty alone, predict later-life success for children

Posted October 9, 2024

Study finds ‘opportunity gap’ between rich and poor children can come down to just six missed chances.

Decades of research have shown that children who are born into low-income households have less access to opportunities like high-quality child care and afterschool activities. Now, a 26-year longitudinal study has quantified the severity of this opportunity gap for the first time, as well as the sizable impact this has on children as they grow into young adults.