Stepping Up Early Childhood Development : Investing in Young Children for High Returns
Investing in young children is one of the best investments that countries can make. A child s earliest years present a unique window of opportunity to address inequality, break the cycle of poverty, and improve a wide range of outcomes later in lif...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Working Paper |
| Language: | English en_US |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2015
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2014/10/20479606/stepping-up-early-childhood-development-investing-young-children-high-returns http://hdl.handle.net/10986/21094 |
| Summary: | Investing in young children is one of
the best investments that countries can make. A child s
earliest years present a unique window of opportunity to
address inequality, break the cycle of poverty, and improve
a wide range of outcomes later in life. Recent brain
research suggests the need for holistic approaches to
learning, growth, and development, recognizing that young
children s physical and intellectual well-being, as well as
their socio-emotional and cognitive development, are
interrelated. To fully benefit from future opportunities in
life and become productive members of society, by the end of
early childhood, young children must be: healthy and
well-nourished; securely attached to caregivers; able to
interact positively with families, teachers, and peers; able
to communicate in their native language; and ready to learn
throughout primary school. This document draws on these
existing frameworks and broad evidence on the impacts of ECD
interventions. It summarizes some of the existing literature
on this topic with the aim to identify key interventions
needed for children. The document is intended to provide an
easily accessible introduction to interventions and
integrated services that could help policymakers and
practitioners think about how to effectively invest in ECD.
In addition to identifying key interventions, the document
outlines four principles that can help countries design and
implement strong ECD policies and programs. Countries
should: (i) prepare an ECD diagnostic and strategy; (ii)
implement widely through coordination; (iii) create
synergies and cost savings through integrated interventions;
and (iv) monitor, evaluate, and scale up successful
interventions. In terms of interventions, within the ECD
period, 25 key interventions are identified as essential for
a child s growth and development. For each intervention,
illustrative costs and impacts are provided. These are based
on existing evidence and are only intended to be indicative.
The document suggests that these interventions can be
delivered through five integrated packages at different
stages in a child s life. The five packages of interventions
include: (a) the family support package, which should be
provided throughout the ECD period, (b) the pregnancy
package, (c) the birth package (from birth to six months),
(d) the child health and development package, and (e) the
preschool package. |
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