Reviews recent literature on how early years experiences may impact on life chances for different groups of the population. Life chances can cover a range of opportunities that people can experience as they become adults and into their later life. These opportunities include, for example, the likelihood of being in employment over individuals’ lifetimes, the chances of obtaining educational qualifications and the chances of good physical and mental health.
Themes discussed include: intergenerational persistence and transmission; the impact of early years on individuals' life outcomes; ethnicity; disability; gender and sexual orientation.