--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The question is not whether we can afford…" description: "\"The question is not whether we can afford to invest in every child; it is whether we can afford not to.\" — Marian Wright Edelman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11f/marian-wright-edelman-2216_afford_the-question-is-not-whether-we-can-affor_740713.png" --- # The question is not whether we can afford to invest in… ![“The question is not whether we can afford to invest in every child; it is whether we can afford not to.” quote by Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11f/marian-wright-edelman-2216_afford_the-question-is-not-whether-we-can-affor_740713.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11f/marian-wright-edelman-2216_afford_the-question-is-not-whether-we-can-affor_740713.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11f/marian-wright-edelman-2216_afford_the-question-is-not-whether-we-can-affor_740713.png) > “The question is not whether we can afford to invest in every child; it is whether we can afford not to.” [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Investing in children is essential; failing to do so has greater costs than the investment itself. **In simple terms:** Children need investment; neglect is costlier. Key Takeaway Prioritize resources for child development. Themes education child welfare investment social responsibility Mood inspirational hopeful Type educational advocational When to use this quote - policy making - budget planning - community programs - advocacy Key Concepts human capital long‑term societal benefit Questions to Reflect On - What are the long‑term returns of child investment? - How can societies balance immediate needs with future benefits? A Different Perspective Budget constraints may limit funding. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Afford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afford/) [Afford Invest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afford-invest-2228745/) [Black history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-history/) [Child Afford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child-afford-2173280/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Invest Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invest-child-1712035/) [Investing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investing/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Question Afford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/question-afford-736300/) ## Related quotes > [Saying we can't afford to invest in early child development means we're storing up bigger costs in the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-marmot/saying-we-can-t-afford-to-invest-in-early-child-development-means-we/) [Michael Marmot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-marmot/) > [Every parent wants to do what's best for their child. Whatever I can afford, I'm going to get my kid the best education I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moore/every-parent-wants-to-do-what-s-best-for-their-child-whatever-i-can/) [Michael Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moore/) > [I question whether we can afford to teach mother macramé when Johnny still can't read.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-brown/i-question-whether-we-can-afford-to-teach-mother-macram-when-johnny/) [Jerry Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-brown/) > [By asking the question How can I afford it? your brain is put to work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/by-asking-the-question-how-can-i-afford-it-your-brain-is-put-to-work/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [A child cannot be taught by anyone who despises him, and a child cannot afford to be fooled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-child-cannot-be-taught-by-anyone-who-despises-him-and-a-child/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When parents are confident that their children will live, they have fewer of them. They invest more in each child's food, health and education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-m-mulcahy/when-parents-are-confident-that-their-children-will-live-they-have/) [Anne M. Mulcahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-m-mulcahy/) > [“Parents, don’t invest in your child's teaching; invest in your child's learning.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-ahn/parents-don-t-invest-in-your-child-s-teaching-invest-in-your-child-s/) [Steve Ahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-ahn/) > [This is a Budget for Britain's future to secure fairness for each child and invest in every child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/this-is-a-budget-for-britain-s-future-to-secure-fairness-for-each/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [If it's wrong for 13-year-old inner-city girls to have babies without the benefit of marriage, it's wrong for rich celebrities, and we ought to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/if-it-s-wrong-for-13-year-old-inner-city-girls-to-have-babies-without/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [ Investing in \[children\] is not a national luxury or a national choice. It's a national necessity. If the foundation of your house is crumbling,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/investing-in-children-is-not-a-national-luxury-or-a-national-choice/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [“The war that killed my grandfather and great-uncles and thousands of other blacks is only a footnote in our history books.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristina-garc-a/the-war-that-killed-my-grandfather-and-great-uncles-and-thousands-of/) [Cristina García](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristina-garc-a/) > [Whereas our ancestors (not of choice) were the first successful cultivators of the wilds of America, we their descendants feel ourselves entitled to participate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-allen/whereas-our-ancestors-not-of-choice-were-the-first-successful/) [Richard Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-allen/) > [My horizon on humanity is enlarged by reading the writers of poems, seeing a painting, listening to some music, some opera, which has nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wole-soyinka/my-horizon-on-humanity-is-enlarged-by-reading-the-writers-of-poems/) [Wole Soyinka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wole-soyinka/) > [“Any ministry to black people which is not designed to effect their empowerment is designed to perpetuate their enslavement.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/any-ministry-to-black-people-which-is-not-designed-to-effect-their/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Later that year, the Voting Rights Act opened the door for thousands to register for the first time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junius-williams/later-that-year-the-voting-rights-act-opened-the-door-for-thousands/) [Junius Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junius-williams/) ## More by Marian Wright Edelman > [We must always refill and ensure there is a critical mass of leaders and activists committed to nonviolence and racial and economic justice who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/we-must-always-refill-and-ensure-there-is-a-critical-mass-of-leaders/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [It is utterly exhausting being Black in America - physically, mentally, and emotionally. While many minority groups and women feel similar stress, there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/it-is-utterly-exhausting-being-black-in-america-physically-mentally/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [Justice is not cheap. Justice is not quick. It is not ever finally achieved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/justice-is-not-cheap-justice-is-not-quick-it-is-not-ever-finally/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [I never thought I was breaking a glass ceiling. I just had to do what I had to do, and it never occurred to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/i-never-thought-i-was-breaking-a-glass-ceiling-i-just-had-to-do-what/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [In my generation, we learned how to be leaders by being exposed to and involved with adults who empowered us and gave us a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/in-my-generation-we-learned-how-to-be-leaders-by-being-exposed-to-and/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [The old notion that children are the private property of parents dies very slowly. In reality, no parent raises a child alone. How many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/the-old-notion-that-children-are-the-private-property-of-parents-dies/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [When Jesus Christ asked little children to come to him, he didn't say only rich children, or White children, or children with two-parent families,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/when-jesus-christ-asked-little-children-to-come-to-him-he-didn-t-say/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [“Don’t feel entitled to anything you don’t sweat and struggle for”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/don-t-feel-entitled-to-anything-you-don-t-sweat-and-struggle-for/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [You can't tell parents to teach children the value of work when we don't have jobs and the jobs we have don't pay a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/you-can-t-tell-parents-to-teach-children-the-value-of-work-when-we/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [To all those mothers and fathers who are struggling with teen-agers, I say, just be patient: even though it looks like you can't do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/to-all-those-mothers-and-fathers-who-are-struggling-with-teen-agers-i/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [It really takes a community to raise children, no matter how much money one has. Nobody can do it well alone. And it's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/it-really-takes-a-community-to-raise-children-no-matter-how-much/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [Democracy cannot breathe, indeed will die, if those enjoined to protect it and uphold the laws snuff it out - with no consequences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/democracy-cannot-breathe-indeed-will-die-if-those-enjoined-to-protect/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [Hunger and malnutrition have devastating consequences for children and have been linked to low birth weight and birth defects, obesity, mental and physical health…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/hunger-and-malnutrition-have-devastating-consequences-for-children/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [We're spending, on average, three times more for prison than for public-school pupils. That's the dumbest investment policy. It doesn't make us safer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/we-re-spending-on-average-three-times-more-for-prison-than-for-public/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [You'd better stay determined, because that's how our ancestors got us where we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/you-d-better-stay-determined-because-that-s-how-our-ancestors-got-us/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) [Explore all 179 Marian Wright Edelman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) ## More Afford quotes > [We can't afford any president to fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/we-can-t-afford-any-president-to-fail/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) > [Just because you can afford it doesn't mean you should buy it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/just-because-you-can-afford-it-doesn-t-mean-you-should-buy-it/) [Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/) > [I am not a Ph.D. in economics or a doctorate in literature that I can afford to take my singing lightly. Even if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kailash-kher/i-am-not-a-ph-d-in-economics-or-a-doctorate-in-literature-that-i-can/) [Kailash Kher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kailash-kher/) > [Now I'm having to live with sales of around 50,000 per album - but I'm pretty content with my place in the general scheme…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-knopfler/now-i-m-having-to-live-with-sales-of-around-50-000-per-album-but-i-m/) [David Knopfler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-knopfler/) > [I was lucky because I got so successful so early, and when you get successful early, then you can afford to be a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-von-furstenberg/i-was-lucky-because-i-got-so-successful-so-early-and-when-you-get/) [Diane von Furstenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-von-furstenberg/) > [I have crooked toes from wearing boots that didn't fit me because that's all I could afford as a kid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-lomu/i-have-crooked-toes-from-wearing-boots-that-didn-t-fit-me-because/) [Jonah Lomu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-lomu/) > [The most common reason new mothers return to work sooner than they'd like to is because they can't afford to go without their salaries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexa-von-tobel/the-most-common-reason-new-mothers-return-to-work-sooner-than-they-d/) [Alexa Von Tobel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexa-von-tobel/) > [This fatigue can not afford to do](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israa-ali/this-fatigue-can-not-afford-to-do/) [ISRAA ALI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israa-ali/) > [A good player is a good player, it's just that we cannot afford signings that do not work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-dyche/a-good-player-is-a-good-player-it-s-just-that-we-cannot-afford/) [Sean Dyche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-dyche/) > [I'm not the most talented writer in the world. I know that. But I also know that I'm disciplined, that I work my butt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-b-coe/i-m-not-the-most-talented-writer-in-the-world-i-know-that-but-i-also/) [David B. Coe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-b-coe/) > [Unfortunately, some people go to a restaurant, and they aren't really there to enjoy themselves. They're there because they think they deserve to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-dinicol/unfortunately-some-people-go-to-a-restaurant-and-they-aren-t-really/) [Joe Dinicol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-dinicol/) > [Nobody has so many friends that he can afford to lose one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/nobody-has-so-many-friends-that-he-can-afford-to-lose-one/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [My earliest memories were when my mom would put me in the plays that she was in because she couldn't afford a babysitter... she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-applegate/my-earliest-memories-were-when-my-mom-would-put-me-in-the-plays-that/) [Christina Applegate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-applegate/) > [In Washington journalists can afford to live almost as well as people who work for a living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/in-washington-journalists-can-afford-to-live-almost-as-well-as-people/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [I'm a little bit tough because I can't afford to get my heart broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandi-glanville/i-m-a-little-bit-tough-because-i-can-t-afford-to-get-my-heart-broken/) [Brandi Glanville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandi-glanville/) [Browse all 784 Afford quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afford/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The question is not whether we can afford to invest in every child; it is whether we can afford not to.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Marian Wright Edelman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/the-question-is-not-whether-we-can-afford-to-invest-in-every-child-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Afford" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/the-question-is-not-whether-we-can-afford-to-invest-in-every-child-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11f/marian-wright-edelman-2216_afford_the-question-is-not-whether-we-can-affor_740713.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11f/marian-wright-edelman-2216_afford_the-question-is-not-whether-we-can-affor_740713.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11f/marian-wright-edelman-2216_afford_the-question-is-not-whether-we-can-affor_740713.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The question is not whether we can afford to invest in every child; it is whether we can afford not to.” — Marian Wright Edelman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Marian Wright Edelman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The question is not whether we...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/the-question-is-not-whether-we-can-afford-to-invest-in-every-child-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/the-question-is-not-whether-we-can-afford-to-invest-in-every-child-it/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```