All in all, the literature does not provide us with a single truth to the possible links between early life circumstances and adult life factors such as health and SES. Nevertheless, clear connections between the two phases of life have definitely been demonstrated. In addition to literature presented on the United Kingdom and United States, this study will present empirical evidence for the Netherlands. The connection between early life circumstances and adult health and employment status will be investigated. One of the aims of the research is to provide additional material that can be used for policy implications in light of recent political debate on cuts in government spending. More specifically; if strong links between early life and adult health and employment status are found, the research can be used to support those in favor of children benefits.

The structure of the paper is as follows. Section 2 will elaborate on the empirical framework of the research. Section 3 presents the results, while section 4 will summarize the findings and elaborate on the main conclusions. Section 5 discusses some of the limitations of this research and provides suggestions for further research.