How should governments make effective use of research that examines the costs of a ‘less than healthy’ start to life? Are there any ‘free efficiency lunches’ to be had by improving intervention processes in early childhood health and education? On the surface at least, health and education are prime areas for improved efficiency gains because of the large amounts of public money spent and the potential to create substantial public value.

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Chris Nixon is a Senior Research Economist at the New Zealand Institute for Economic Research.