Here are some useful resources that build the connection between early child development and economic development.

The 1998 Commission on the Future of the South report

The Economics of Early Childhood Development: Lessons for Economic Policy: Conference sponsored by the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank in October 2003

Reports from the Minneapolis Fed on Early Child Development

The Committee on Economic Development has produced a number of reports and working papers. You can get a summary from this page. The CED publications include:

Preschool for All newsletter
Preschool for All report
Developmental Education: The Value of High Quality Preschool Investments as Economic Tools
A New Framework for Assessing the Benefits of Early Education