Ensure Positive Early Childhood Development and Education – Evidence from Home-, Community- and School-Based ECD Interventions

Group Submission Type: Formal Panel Session

Proposal

Early Childhood Development and Education (ECD/E) is the period that begins prenatally and extends to eight years of age. It is a stage of rapid and critical development in cognitive, language/speech, social-emotional, and physical domains, shaping a child’s long-term trajectory. Globally, around 350 million children lack access to early childhood care and education services, hindering the acquisition of foundational skills and increasing their chances of repeating grades or dropping out of school as they grow older (Devercelli and Beaton-Day, 2020). Eighty percent of these children live in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Overall, 73 percent of the children below age three lack appropriate levels of care and supervision (USAID, 2023). These young children may face a broad range of risks, including poor access to healthcare, malnutrition, no/limited early learning opportunities, and exposure to violence or abuse. For young children growing up in crises-affected areas, persistent fear and anxiety can also negatively affect learning and development, resulting in long-term effects on physical, cognitive, and mental health, learning, and behavior.
Investing in children in the early years of life yields one of the highest returns on investment in education: every dollar spent on ECD intervention yields an estimated economic return of USD$13 (World Health Organization, 2018). ECD is also recognized as the most cost-effective equalizer to address opportunity gaps between boys and girls during children’s formative years. Integrated ECD/E models that are anchored in strong health and education systems and that address the health, nutrition, education and protection needs of young children are key to achieving better cognitive, emotional, and physical development in children (Coles et al, 2015). In settings affected by conflict, natural disasters, or other crises, ECD/E programs can further provide young children with structured routines that create a sense of normalcy and opportunities to play and explore, enabling them to learn coping strategies, continue their educational and social development, and engage positively with other children and adults.
The panel will share a new integrated framework for ECD and explore the evidence informing its design. The panel will reflect on the potential for utilizing this model as a tool to boost social cohesion from a young age, particularly in conflict-affected contexts, and to mitigate the impact of conflict on early childhood development. The panel will also explore evidence from the use of effective ECD/E practices in Zambia and Malawi to highlight some key elements that can ensure young children aged 0-8 years develop holistically – being physically healthy, mentally alert, socially and emotionally stable, and ready for school.

Sub Unit

• Early Childhood Development SIG

Chair

• Iffat Khan, CARE

Individual Presentations

• Meeting the Development Needs of Young Children: Updating a Cross-Sectoral Early Childhood Development Model - Brittany Davis, CARE USA

• Empowering Parents in Ensuring Children’s Well-Being in Zambia - Brian Phiri, CARE Zambia

• Community School-Based ECD Intervention – School Meals Leading to Improved Learning Outcomes for Young Children in Malawi - Limbani Boy Chipembere, CARE Malawi

Discussant

• Amanda Moll, CARE USA