1. Why the early years matter!

• Rationales for investing in ECD.

2. What does this mean for countries—

• What matters3. Where we are

in Belize in ECD.4. Conclusions

The case for investment in ECD and actions for children in the early years

Human Rights/Ethical

Argument: CRC and CRPD

Economic Rationale

Scientific Rationale

Programmatic Rationale

The power of numbers: Share numbers of children with developmental delay or disabilities

The CRC speaks to three (3) different categories of children’s rights:

1. Rights of provision, for example, the right to adequate education and health care.

2. Rights of protection, for example, the right to be protected from abuse and neglect.

3. Rights of participation, for example, the right to be heard in matters affecting the child.

Human Rights Perspective

Scientific Perspective

Scientific PerspectiveBRAIN GROWTH THROUGH ADULT LIFE

SEconomic and Social Perspectives

• MoE realizes that the educational system has given insufficient attention to the present early childhood education program over the years and Is aware of the urgent need to improve this area.

• Approximately only 40% of children age 36-59 months are attending early childhood education. Most of the children enrolled in preschool continue to be in urban areas and most live in Belize City.

• Toledo district, which is the poorest district, has the greatest need for early childhood services, services for children with special needs and better nutrition for children, especially in the rural areas.

Initial recognition of gaps and challenges(Belize)

• Limited school readiness must be addressed when only 32.9% of children attending first grade, actually attended preschool in the previous year.

• There is no school readiness and limited stimulation provided to children 0-3, especially in the rural areas of Toledo, where only 12.8% of children (3-4) attend any form of early childhood education.

• Early childhood intervention services must be improved at prenatal and postnatal opportunities, at hospitals, health centres, private clinics, and through mobile clinics, especially for those in the rural, disadvantaged areas.

• Stunting, in the Toledo district, is a 41.6% and exclusive breastfeeding (0-5mths) is very low throughout the country at 14.7% (MICS 2011).

Initial recognition of gaps and challenges(Belize)

Initial recognition of gaps and challenges(World Bank SABER process)

Multiple opportunities to expand ECD interventions across the life-cycle

((World Bank SABER process)

CONCLUSIONS I(focusing on children 0-3 years and families)

• Inadequate attention to children 0-3 years (including their families and home environment) results in short term consequences of children who fail to reach academic, socio-emotional and health potential, and who therefore become a challenge to society.

• Inadequate attention to children 0-3 years results in long term consequences of adults who fail to reach educational, health and socio-emotional potential

• There is economic advantage to addressing through coordinated efforts, the needs of children 0-3 years and their families.

CONCLUSIONS II(focusing on children 0-3 years and families)

• Countries of the region must address the needs of children 0-3 years and their families if we are to impact current problems of violence, low academic attainment and low productivity

• Our children are depending on us to get it right for them. In their early years, young children cannot do it themselves.

• To achieve this support, a coordinated effort and intersectoral approach across all stages of the early life-cycle is required, with the participation of all key sectors and stakeholders.

Acknowledgements

• The author acknowledges the use of slides from presentations by Professor Samms-Vaughn of Jamaica and her acknowledgement of use of slides by Fraser Mustard of the Council for Early Childhood Development in her presention. These slides provided important graphical representation of brain development and important information from international studies .

• The author acknowledges use of slides from presentation by Garren Lumpkin, consultant to Belize, on developing an inter-sectorial framework for ECD policy, planning and delivery.