The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for 2015–2030 strive for a world that is “just, equitable, and inclusive,” in which everyone receives care, education, and opportunities to thrive. Yet many children are living on the margins of society, face multiple disadvantages, and are excluded from full participation in all that life has to offer. To examine the science, economics, and politics of investing in the health, education, nutrition, and social protection of children at the margins, the Forum on Investing in Young Children Globally (iYCG Forum) held a workshop in Prague, Czech Republic, on November 3–4, 2015, titled, “Reaching and Investing in Children at the Margins.” Individual workshop participants sought to bring to the foreground a scientific perspective of children at the margins, and explore how discrimination and social exclusion affect early development, focusing on vulnerable populations such as children living outside of family care; children from diverse ethnic and linguistic backgrounds such as Roma; children with developmental delays and disabilities; and refugee, immigrant, and migrant children.
