Its overall level of spending per child during the early years has risen and moved closer to Swedish levels. The age-spending profile of the United States is even more pronounced because of its lack of investment in the early years: it is the only OECD country without a national paid maternity leave scheme, although a few states, such California, provide paid leave before and after child birth for fathers and mothers (Adema et al., Investment in children should start early, as spending in the early years yields the highest returns, particularly if it is maintained throughout childhood.