The article explores the impact of socioeconomic status (SES) on brain development, particularly in children and adolescents. It highlights that childhood SES influences neural development, affecting systems related to language and executive function. Research in humans and animal models suggests that prenatal factors, parent-child interactions, and cognitive stimulation in the home environment play crucial roles in these effects. The article discusses how low SES is associated with worse health, psychological well-being, and cognitive and emotional development throughout life. It also reviews the mechanisms by which SES affects brain development, including prenatal factors, parental care, and cognitive stimulation. The findings provide insights into how environmental factors can lead to individual differences in brain development and suggest potential interventions to address SES-related disparities in mental health and academic achievement. The authors emphasize the importance of targeting brain development as a new area for intervention and prevention programs, and they highlight the need for policies that improve the broader environments in which families are embedded.The article explores the impact of socioeconomic status (SES) on brain development, particularly in children and adolescents. It highlights that childhood SES influences neural development, affecting systems related to language and executive function. Research in humans and animal models suggests that prenatal factors, parent-child interactions, and cognitive stimulation in the home environment play crucial roles in these effects. The article discusses how low SES is associated with worse health, psychological well-being, and cognitive and emotional development throughout life. It also reviews the mechanisms by which SES affects brain development, including prenatal factors, parental care, and cognitive stimulation. The findings provide insights into how environmental factors can lead to individual differences in brain development and suggest potential interventions to address SES-related disparities in mental health and academic achievement. The authors emphasize the importance of targeting brain development as a new area for intervention and prevention programs, and they highlight the need for policies that improve the broader environments in which families are embedded.