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 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.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Denboba, Amina D., Sayre, Rebecca K., Wodon, Quentin T., Elder, Leslie K., Rawlings, Laura B., Lombardi, Joan
Language:	English en_US
Published:	World Bank, Washington, DC 2014-10
Subjects:	ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE, ACCESS TO HEALTH SERVICES, ADEQUATE DIET, AGED, ANTENATAL CARE, ANTENATAL VISITS, BABIES, BABY, BASIC EDUCATION, BASIC SANITATION, BEHAVIOR CHANGE, BIRTH REGISTRATION, BIRTH WEIGHT, BREAST FEEDING, BREASTFEEDING, BULLETIN, CAPACITY BUILDING, CARE FOR CHILDREN, CAREGIVER TRAINING, CAREGIVERS, CHILD CARE, CHILD DEVELOPMENT, CHILD GROWTH, CHILD HEALTH, CHILD HEALTH CARE, CHILD LABOR, CHILD MORBIDITY, CHILD MORTALITY, CHILD NUTRITION, CHILD PROTECTION, CHILD SURVIVAL, CHILDCARE, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNITY EDUCATION, COMPLEMENTARY FOOD, COMPLICATIONS, CONTRACEPTIVE METHODS, COUNSELORS, CYCLE OF POVERTY, DEATHS OF CHILDREN, DELIVERY COSTS, DEPRESSION, DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES, DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY, DIETS, DISABILITY, DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN, DISEASES, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, DRINKING WATER, DROPOUT, DRUGS, EARLY CHILD DEVELOPMENT, EARLY CHILDHOOD, EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE, EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT, EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS, EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, EARLY CHILDHOOD INTERVENTION, EARLY CHILDHOOD INTERVENTIONS, EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS, EARLY DEATH, EARLY MARRIAGE, ECCE, ECD, ECD POLICIES, ECD PROGRAMS, EMERGENCY OBSTETRIC CARE, EPIDEMIOLOGY, EQUITABLE ACCESS, EXPOSURE TO VIOLENCE, FAMILIES, FAMILY PLANNING, FAMILY PLANNING SERVICES, FAMILY SIZE, FAMILY SUPPORT, FOLIC ACID, FUTURE GROWTH, FUTURE MOTHERS, GENDER, GENDER INEQUALITY, GLOBAL HEALTH, GLOBAL POLICY, GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT, GROWTH MONITORING, HEALTH CARE, HEALTH INSURANCE, HEALTH INTERVENTIONS, HEALTH MINISTRIES, HEALTH OUTCOMES, HEALTH PLANNING, HEALTH POLICY, HEALTH RISKS, HEALTH SERVICES, HEALTH SYSTEM, HEALTH WORKERS, HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS, HOLISTIC DEVELOPMENT, HOME VISITING, HOME VISITS, HOSPITAL, HUMAN CAPITAL, HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, HYGIENE, ILL-HEALTH, ILLNESS, ILLNESSES, IMMUNIZATION, IMMUNIZATIONS, INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT, INFANT, INFANT HEALTH, INFANT MORBIDITY, INFANT MORTALITY, INFANTS, INFERTILITY, INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY, INTERVENTION, IODINE DEFICIENCY, IRON, LABOR FORCE, LACK OF AWARENESS, LEARNING, LEARNING ACTIVITIES, LEVEL OF EDUCATION, LIFESTYLES, LOCAL AUTHORITIES, LOW BIRTH WEIGHT, MALARIA, MALNUTRITION, MALNUTRITION AMONG CHILDREN, MATERNAL CAUSES, MATERNAL DEATHS, MATERNAL HEALTH, MATERNAL MORTALITY, MENTAL, MENTAL DEVELOPMENT, MICRONUTRIENT SUPPLEMENTATION, MIGRATION, MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, MINISTRY OF HEALTH, MORBIDITY, MORTALITY, MOTHER, NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, NATIONAL LEVEL, NEONATAL HEALTH, NEONATAL MORTALITY, NEWBORN, NEWBORN HEALTH, NEWBORNS, NUMBER OF CHILDREN, NUTRITION, NUTRITIONAL STATUS, OBSTETRIC COMPLICATIONS, OUTPATIENT CARE, PARENTAL LEAVE, PARENTING, PARENTING EDUCATION, PATIENT, PEDIATRICS, PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT, PHYSICAL GROWTH, PHYSICAL HEALTH, POLICY DIALOGUE, POLICY FRAMEWORK, POLICY GOALS, POLICY MAKERS, POLICY RESEARCH, POLICY RESEARCH WORKING PAPER, POPULATION GROUPS, PRACTITIONERS, PREGNANCIES, PREGNANCY, PREGNANT WOMAN, PREGNANT WOMEN, PREPRIMARY EDUCATION, PRESCHOOL EDUCATION, PRESCHOOLS, PREVENTION INTERVENTIONS, PRIMARY EDUCATION, PRIMARY SCHOOL, PRIMARY SCHOOLS, PROGRESS, PUBLIC EDUCATION, PUBLIC HEALTH, QUALITY IMPROVEMENT, QUALITY SERVICES, REFERRAL SYSTEM, REGULATORY FRAMEWORKS, RESIDENTIAL CARE, RESPECT, RISK FACTORS, RURAL AREAS, SAFE WATER, SAFETY NET, SANITATION, SCHOOL ATTENDANCE, SCHOOL READINESS, SCREENING, SERVICE DELIVERY, SERVICE PROVIDERS, SERVICE PROVISION, SKILLED ATTENDANCE, SKILLED ATTENDANCE AT DELIVERY, SKILLED HEALTH PERSONNEL, SOCIAL NETWORKS, SOCIAL POLICY, SOCIAL SCIENCE, SOCIAL SERVICES, SOCIAL STATUS, SOCIAL SUPPORT, SOCIAL WELFARE, TETANUS, TREATMENT OF INFERTILITY, UNFPA, VACCINATION, VIOLENCE, VULNERABILITY, VULNERABLE FAMILIES, VULNERABLE GROUPS, WOMAN, WORKERS, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION, YOUNG CHILD, YOUNG CHILDREN,
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2014/10/20479606/stepping-up-early-childhood-development-investing-young-children-high-returns https://hdl.handle.net/10986/21094
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