IMPACT OF THE ECONOMIC CRISES ON EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT (ECD): AN EXAMINATION OF MEDIATING PATHWAYS WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR POLICY

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IMPACT OF THE ECONOMIC CRISES ON EARLY CHILDHOOD
DEVELOPMENT (ECD) AN EXAMINATION OF MEDIATING
PATHWAYS WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR POLICY

• Pia Rebello Britto, Ph.D.
• Yale University
• Nurper Ulkuer, Ph.D.
• UNICEF
• Cliff Meyers, Ed.D.
• UNICEF

Paper presented at ODI/UNICEF Conference.
November 9-10, 2009. London, England
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Overview

• What Is Early Childhood ECD?
• Early Childhood and Poverty
• Poverty Pathways parenting and family
• Policy Considerations
• Development
• social, economic and human
• Goal of development
• progression towards full potential (Hart, 2009)
• Compromise of development

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What is Early Childhood?

• Early Childhood Development (ECD) is a
  multifaceted concept that covers the EC period.
  Consists of a set of development and
  inter-twined process of providing services for
  young children and families.
• Science -- most rapid growth of physical, mental
  and socio-emotional capacities - 0 to 9 yrs
• Policy response -- considered key period for
  ensuring child survival and development

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What is Early Childhood?

• The achievement of holistic development is due to
  mutual influences of early experience and gene
  expression.
• Brain architecture is built bottom up -- higher
  capacities are more difficult to develop if lower
  capacities havent emerged appropriately
• Young children need to be protected from
• risks of poor health and nutrition
• exposure to stress and violence.
• Young children need
• positive and responsive interactions
• with at least one consistent caregiver,
• homes, early care, development
• and learning settings and
• communities foster well-being

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Why is Early Childhood Important?

• Development is a childs basic right.
• CRC identifies the major duty bearers and their
  accountabilities towards the implementation of
  rights, and the creation of an enabling
  environment for duty bearers to ensure the rights
  of young children are fulfilled.

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Why is Early Childhood?

• Magnitude of effects will be a function of the
  following characteristics
• Cultural developmental appropriateness
• Timing
• Intensity
• Breadth
• Responsiveness to individual risk or impairment

Typical Developmental Trajectory
Cognitive Social Development
Zone of Modifiability
Developmentally Delayed Trajectory
( Influenced by neurodevelopmental bio-social
risk factors )
Ramey Ramey (1999). American Psychologist.
Engle, P. (2005). Developmental Readiness.
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Why ECD Most effective for social and economic
development
Carneiro, P., Heckman, J.J. (2003). Human
Capital Policy. University of Chicago.
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ECD Poverty
Largest risk factor facing children Most
vulnerable population Poverty inability to meet
consumption needs deprivation social
exclusion Dynamic Aspects of Poverty Deep Pers
istent Experienced in the early years
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Early Childhood Poverty
Outcomes Effect Size Effect Size Effect Size
Large Moderate/ Small None
Educational Outcomes I.Q., Math, reading achievement Behind in grade
Health Outcomes Twice as likely to be born low
birth weight Lowered nutritional status
stunting, delayed motor development Psychosocial
Outcomes Lowered self-esteem Higher anxiety
depression Weaker peer relationships
Adapted from Brooks-Gunn, Britto, Brady, (1999).
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Poverty Pathways and ECD
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• Although the surroundings of low-income children
  contain more singular psychosocial and physical
  environmental risk factors with known adverse
  developmental outcomes, the confluence of
  multiple psychosocial and physical risk factors
  may be a key, unique feature of childhood
  poverty(Evans, 2004).

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Policy Considerations
Alderman King (2006) integrated programs
greatest benefits nutritional and health,
training in parenting skills, cognitive
stimulation East Asia results enhancing
capacity building through the stimulus
packages Macours, Schady Vakis (2008). Cash
transfer and stronger early childhood
outcomes National Lottery in the Philippines,
which contributes to ECD programmes and are
generally less affected by the crisis.
Understudied area micro-credit financial
mechanisms
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Thank You