Arguments to Support Investment in Early Childhood Support Material 2.1a Module 2: Investing in Early Childhood Session 2.1 Investing in Early Childhood

Six Reasons for Investment in Early Childhood Human Rights Scientific Rationale Economic Benefits Social Equity Social Mobilisation Achieve International Goals

Human Rights Children have the Right to survive and to thrive From surviving to thriving Beginning with those most likely to falter. Investment in young children would bring long-term social change and sustained realization of children’s rights. Quality care and protection in children’s early years are key to avoiding death, disease, trauma, etc., while ensuring healthy growth, self-esteem and the ability to learn. These in turn are essential to school readiness, additional learning, effectiveness of school-based programmers and future ability of children to contribute as economic actors and citizens. As more infants survive there is a moral imperative to support the child’s well-being and quality of life. The obligation is to anticipate which children are likely to be debilitated and delayed in their social, physical, and intellectual development, and to do all in our power to prevent that from happening

Scientific Rationale Prenatal to age 3 is the most important time. 1/10 has a deficiency/delay - many could have been avoided. More child development knowledge gained in last 50 years than in previous 2500.

Scientific Rationale: Most of adult mental ability is formed in the first three years of life - about half of that before birth (80% of brain growth) Early stimulation programmes can reduce school drop-out Malnutrition and anemia reduce learning ability

Interventions with stunted children in Jamaica DQ non-stunted control both Rxs stimulated supplemented This illustrates results of a study done in Jamaica published in 1991. Children who were stunted were placed into four groups – food supplementation only, home stimulation only, both, and neither.  A fifth group that was not stunted was also measured. Children were under the age of 2 when the experiment started and all were followed for 2 years. As the results above show, there was a significant impact of food supplementation, and of stimulation, but the combined impact was greater than either alone. These same children have been followed through their adolescence. At this point, it appears that the group with the longest-lasting effects are those who had the stimulation intervention. The point of the study was that these two inputs can have a synergistic effect on the outcome. Grantham-McGregor et al, 1991

Economic Benefits Early investment - leads to increased school and workplace productivity. - helps break the intergenerational transmission of poverty – a step in Poverty Alleviation Early investments lead to increased productivity in the schools and workplace Early investments play a major role in Poverty Alleviation especially with urbanization and globalization Investment in the young child represents the best way to break the intergenerational transmission of poverty Improving early childhood development helps to break vicious cycles of poverty in two ways – by giving support to women and older girls allowing them to earn and to learn and - by providing children with a better base to draw upon in later years.

Economic Benefits cont. Prevention is less expensive than Treatment Preventive care reduces costs of health care throughout life Preventing malnutrition avoids stunting Prevention is less expensive than Treatment Preventive care reduces the costs of health care expenses incurred in a lifetime for children and adults. Preventing malnutrition helps avoid stunting in children and saves the costs that this might involve at both individual and social levels.

Economic Benefits cont. Early stimulation - prepares the child for the school and costs less than high dropout and repetition rates - supports the child’s development to now and throughout life Early stimulation activities, which also prepare the child for the school, costs less than the high dropout and repetition rates of the early years of primary school. They also support the child’s potential development to be become a well-prepared adult for life. Investment in the young child represents the best way to break the intergenerational transmission of poverty.

The point of this slide from Bruce Perry is that the period of time in which brain development is most rapid, and during which inputs make the most difference (the early years) is traditionally the time period during which we spend the least. Thus the mismatch.

For every $1 spent on QUALITY early childhood programmes there is a $7 return in cost-savings. UNICEF’s State of the World’s Children 2001 report Children who receive good care and nurturing during the early years of life are less likely to suffer illnesses, repeat grades, drop out of school, or require remedial services later in life.

Social Equity Interventions help disadvantaged groups most Nepal - preschool had greater impact on girls’ school attendance Guatemala - all effects of early food supplementation were on girls

Nepalese disadvantaged children: Percent children at school who are girls by non-formal preschool attendance This programme in Nepal compared the percent of girls compared to the total attending school at different grades as a function of their attending a non-formal preschool developed by Save the Children UK and Norway, and UNICEF. Children who were enrolled were compared with those who were similarly disadvantaged but in villages without the programme - so the programme avoids many of the problems of self-selection. The results show that in the first year of school, among the children who attended the ECD programme and were in school, half were girls. This contrasts to the children who had not attended preschool. In that group, only 39% were girls. In the second year of school, again in the group that had attended preschool, 46% were girls - but in the group that had not attended preschool, only 34% were girls - a difference of 12% in each case. This work was done in Nepal under the guidance or Caroline Arnold of Save the Children UK and Norway, with additional funding by UNICEF. It suggests that preschool experiences can be particiularly helpful in getting girls into school and keeping them. Data from 24 village development committees; in Arnold (2003) What’s The Difference? The Impact of early Childhood Development Programmes: Save the Children (US & Norway) and UNICEF.

Entry point for Social Mobilisation Young children are focal point of Communities organising In emergencies, child friendly spaces can lead to community mobilisation. Socialisation perpetuates cultural values Sometimes communities can come together to create programmes and structures and synergy to meet the needs of young children. Child friendly spaces can be created for young children in situations of emergency; these become the starting point for community mobilisation and participation. Socialisation of young children supports the continuation of cultural values.

Achieve International Goals A holistic approach is key in meeting development targets Global Movement for Children – ensuring a good start in life for every child, caring for every child, investing in children. At an international level, the Global Movement for Children has resulted in a close partnership to meet the rights of children

Millenium Development goals: Survival Completion of 5 years of school Reduction in poverty and hunger reducing MMR malaria deaths, malnutrition, and increasing access to safe drinking water

A World Fit For Children... Every child should have... “a nurturing, caring, and safe environment - to survive, be physically healthy, mentally alert, emotionally secure, socially competent, and able to learn”

Six Reasons for Investment in Early Childhood Human Rights Scientific Rationale Economic Benefits Social Equity Social Mobilisation Achieve International Goals