Early Childhood Matters 2020 - Advances in early childhood development

Omschrijving

Early Childhood Matters Matters aims to elevate key issues, spread awareness of promising solutions to support holistic child development and explore the elements needed to take those solutions to scale. It is published annually by the Bernard van Leer Foundation. The views expressed in Early Childhood Matters are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Bernard van Leer Foundation. Initiatives featured are not necessarily funded by the Bernard van Leer Foundation.

Rising to the challenges of today by investing in the early years for the present and future

This world is plagued by injustice and inequities that have never been more evident as a global pandemic underlines the enormous gaps in society, from within local communities and cities to between regions and nation states. To shape a better future, investing in early childhood needs to remain a priority for all governments and societies. The earlier we invest in a human being, the greater the economic and social return on the capital invested. This investment must start from before birth to guarantee equal opportunities for all children to develop their full potentia and, collectively, set the foundation for a healthy, creative and peaceful world.

This year’s Early Childhood Matters is launched in a historical moment when our mission, ‘ensuring a good start for all children’, is more relevant than ever. We are particularly concerned about children with the greatest vulnerability, such as the 22 million children who have been displaced by various crisis situations and the 250 million children living in urban areas in developing countries who are at risk of not attaining their developmental potential. We have only a limited window of opportunity to take action while a child is a baby or toddler, and in the pandemic context this time pressure motivates us to work harder to find agile and creative solutions that can scale much faster. We hope this journal will provide inspiration for more good practices around the world to improve the well-being of societies.

This issue opens with testimonies from five extraordinary leaders – four of them women – who make a clear call to action to protect populations living through today’s humanitarian crisis. In sharing their visions and experiences of having worked at different levels of government and organisations, these leaders highlight the importance of seeking to be more effective in acting across sectors, between different levels of government, and with varied strategic stakeholders to consolidate an effective system of social protection for children.

The 'Scaling' section explores the implementation of diverse early childhood policies and programmes in different parts of the world and the challenges that must be considered when working at scale. Articles describe the successes and challenges faced by various programmes with modalities such as home visiting and parent coaching in reaching the vast majority of the population while prioritising interventions in the most vulnerable populations and households.