I propose a different way of thinking about the role of early experience, which I call the good-enough model. It is an evolutionary perspective that sees the human species as having evolved in circumstances that support normal development of brain and behavior in a wide range of environments, including those in which parents and communities do not invest extraordinary time and attention in the rearing of their young. It posits a floor with respect to early stimulation, the good-enough point, above which the vast majority of children will experience normal development of brain and behavior without the need for special programs or expensive enrichment experiences. A corollary is that the returns to investment in intensive early childhood programs rapidly diminish beyond the good-enough point. (author abstract)