Do Our Children Have a Chance? - Human Opportunity Report

In this review of Do Our Children Have a Chance? the authors assess how equitably development reaches children across Latin America and the Caribbean. The book is for policy analysts, development practitioners and academic readers who need a thorough, data-driven account of childhood access to basic services; its single biggest reason to buy is the comprehensive, multi-country analysis that traces opportunity gaps across time and circumstances. Readers looking for prescriptive political manifestos will find this a measured research report rather than polemic, but those needing country-level program manuals may want a complementary practical guide.

Key Features

• Regional scope: Covers 19 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean to provide comparative insight into cross-country and intra-country differences in human opportunity.
• Large, representative data: Uses data representing roughly 200 million children, which strengthens the report's generalizability for researchers and policymakers.
• Expanded indicators: Builds on earlier work to include a broader set of opportunities and personal circumstances, allowing more nuanced analysis of access to basic services.
• Longitudinal perspective: Draws on data from the last 15 years to show trends and the pace of change in access to services for children.
• Analytical framework: Adapts and extends the Measuring Inequality of Opportunity approach to quantify disparities and inform policy debate.

Who It's For

The report is best suited for development professionals, researchers, graduate students and policy teams who need rigorous evidence about opportunity gaps in LAC and want a comparative, region-wide perspective rather than a single-country case study. It is also valuable for international organizations designing regional strategies and academics studying inequality of opportunity.

Readers seeking step-by-step operational playbooks for implementing programs at local levels or lay readers expecting light introductions to development topics should look elsewhere, as the book emphasizes measurement, analysis and trends over implementation checklists.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Comprehensive regional coverage makes it a rare comparative resource on childhood opportunity in LAC.
• Strong empirical base with data representing about 200 million children adds credibility to its conclusions.
• Updated indicator set and a 15-year perspective help readers track meaningful trends over time.

Cons

• The focus on measurement and regional analysis means limited operational guidance for frontline program implementers.
• The technical framing may be dense for readers without a background in development economics or policy analysis.

Specifications

Title	Do Our Children Have a Chance?: A Human Opportunity Report for Latin America and the Caribbean
Series	Directions in Development - Human Development
Authors / Brand	Jose R. Molinas Vega; Ricardo Paes de Barros; Jaime Saavedra Chanduvi; Marcelo Giugale; Louise J. Cord; Carola Pessino; Amer Hasan
Geographic scope	Latin America and the Caribbean (19 countries)
Population represented	Approximately 200 million children
Time span of data	Last 15 years

Our Verdict

This report is an excellent value for researchers and policy teams seeking a rigorous, region-wide assessment of childhood opportunity in LAC; its expanded indicators, representative data and longitudinal approach make it a go-to reference for comparative analysis, though those wanting operational program manuals should pair it with implementation-focused resources.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this book cover individual countries in depth?
The book covers 19 countries comparatively and highlights intra-country disparities, but it is framed as a regional, analytical report rather than a collection of single-country case studies.

What kind of data does the report use?
It draws on newly available representative data over the last 15 years, covering roughly 200 million children to analyze access to basic services and circumstances that shape opportunity.

Is this suitable for policy design?
Yes for evidence and trend analysis informing regional policy priorities; it is less focused on step-by-step operational guidance for local program implementation.