A Child - An Investment Portfolio?!

Apparently picketing is the fashionable thing now. "New mothers" have also realised that it may be the only, if not the last, option for making themselves noticed. Honestly, I don't notice them in everyday life either. Just as I don't notice the disabled, starving pensioners, and minorities. I'm doing fine.

News of the "mothers'" picket also appeared in the columns of apollo.lv. And where would we be without comments. I don't even dare to read comments on delfi.lv - so to speak, a general impression of the diversity of popular opinion on this matter already emerged. One comment did stick and prompted some reflection - namely, that children are the ones who will pay our (your, their) pensions.

Dry Mathematics

A child who is mostly not yet productive or earning could be considered as such up to the age of 20. This period could be divided into: infant, nursery, school, university.

Infant - requirement for living space, warmth, food, medical care, nappies, clothing. One might hope to manage on 200 Ls/month.
Nursery - all of the above, only nappies are replaced by toys, educational materials, and of course the nursery itself, which depending on circumstances costs from 100 Ls (municipal [2]) to 300 (private). With which, investment in the child now amounts to 200–500 Ls/month.
School - added are school supplies, fashion and status items, pocket money, and the school itself (paid by the municipality, i.e. taxpayers). As luck may have it, but investment now ranges from 400 to 1000 Ls/month.
University - costs of university (state-funded place - paid by the state, i.e. taxpayers; fee-paying - parents). Depending on parental means - begins to claim independent accommodation, transport. Investment starting from 500 Ls/month.

Guarantee that the investment portfolio (the child), once standing on their own feet, will not tip their hat and disappear into the blue yonder - none whatsoever.

A real study conducted in England at the end of 2007 [4]. The study's authors claim that the average investment in a child (admittedly up to age 21) is £738/month or £186,000 over the period. And the forecast is that by 2012 this investment will now be £265,000 over the period, or £1,051/month. What do you think the pension will be in 2012? :)

Pension

The average pension in 2008 was 173 Ls/month [3]. Pension begins at around age 65. Duration of pension use - 0 to 20 years.

So looking at it impersonally, without empathy, and guided purely by numbers, the question arises -
Where is the return on the investment portfolio (the child)? :)

[1] http://apollo.lv/portal/news/articles/140486
[2] http://www.liepajasblogs.lv/2008/09/18/liepajas-pasvaldiba-turpina-istenot-principu-%E2%80%9Enauda-seko-bernam%E2%80%9D/
[3] http://www.nra.lv/zinas/6757-prognozes-videja-pensija-parsniegs-iztikas-minimumu.htm
[4] http://www.fairinvestment.co.uk/deals/news/banking-news-Cost-of-raising-a-child-in-the-UK-hits-%C2%A3186000--929.html