Organization of American States Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI) “Lessons Learned and Hemispheric Commitments for Early Childhood Education” SIXTH PLENARY SESSION: Comprehensive early childhood service programs Commentary by the Moderator- Nurper Ulkuer, Senior Adviser, Early Childhood, UNICEF New York Fifth Meeting of Ministers of Education November 14-16, 2007-Cartegena de Indias, Colombia.

Responding to MDGs with ECD Comprehensively Reduction of Poverty – MDG 1 –Social protection for the most vulnerable children and families UPE and Gender Equality – MDG 2 &3 – Developmentally ready for school Child/Maternal Health MDG 4 – 5 –Improved family/community care practices for child survival, growth and development

UNICEF’s Comprehensive Policy and Programming Approach to ECD Improved family and community care practices for child survival, growth and development Basic Education and gender equality – ECD to ensure smooth transition to school – ready and on time Child Protection - quality and low cost child care options for poor working parents/caregivers Children affected by AIDS and Orphans and Vulnerable Children Policy advocacy for implementing CRC and eliminating child poverty – targeting the most vulnerable

Links among the ECD interventions Health/NutrHealth/Nutr EducationEducation Age 3Age 5 Health/nu trition ACSD/ I MCI Care for Dev. Parenting Programs Community ECD Centers ACSD Nutrition, Health Parenting Programs Nutrition, Health Community Based ECD Group learning opportunities primary school- child to child Parenting Programs, Social protection and Welfare polices – family empowerment National Social and Economic Policies 8 plus -0 Good governance – Community Participation

Programme Goals? Poverty alleviation and social protection? Equal access to and completion of primary education? –Start school ready and on time? –Smooth transition from home to school? Improved and regulated child care for all.

Social Policies to foster Human Capital Choices to make; –Investing in pre-school education vs. secondary? –Targeting the most vulnerable vs. ALL? –Covering all ages vs. 4-6? –Focusing on the child vs. child-caregiver dyad Parenting programmes to empower families and raise their aspirations for themselves and for their children – best way to fight with fatalism

Informed decision: who-what-how-where & when? Mapping out children’s developmental status and needs –PRIE, EDI (WB) –ECD Indicators for HH, MICS Efficacy, effectiveness and benefit-cost studies of different programme choices –Improved developmental outcomes –Improved services and programmes outcomes –Policies leading to increased investment in comprehensive ECD programmes and services

Ideas for follow up.. Similar meetings with the following ministers: –Health –Social Protection and Welfare –Planning and Finance