Many governments these days feel that the path to happiness for society as a whole lies through spending on the welfare of its youngest members: their health, education, and general well-being. A recent report from a leading international organization, the OECD, examined these efforts among its 30 member countries in order to learn if the aim was being achieved. Specifically, the researchers investigated 21 variables that were then grouped into six main categories. The results surprisingly showed that while some kinds of spending on children do work, many should be improved or scrapped. Also, total government spending per child was seen to vary considerably, as did outcomes, but the correlation between these was not strong. Moreover, the differences in spending levels among countries were not directly linked to their relative levels of prosperity. For example, rich Sweden is, as expected, kind to its children, but poorish Hungary turns out to be generous, too. Up-and-coming South Korea might be expected to be a bit reluctant to part with so much money, but the stinginess of Switzerland is totally unexpected. Children’s lobbies always want more funds, but the OECD report suggests that more money does not reliably yield better results. America has one of the highest levels of spending per child, and among the worst outcomes. In contrast, Australia spends less, with better outcomes.