Supporting Early Child Development ECD in HIVAIDS Programs for Africa Mary Eming Young HDNED

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Supporting Early Child Development (ECD) in
HIV/AIDS Programs for AfricaMary Eming
YoungHDNED
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Topics

• Why it is important to address ECD in HIV/AIDS
  programs for Africa
• What policymakers need to know about ECD in
  relation to HIV/AIDS
• How governments can partner with civil society to
  support ECD HIV/AIDS interventions

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Children Affected by HIV/AIDSrefers to

• Children ages 0-8 who are either infected with
  HIV or have been made vulnerable by AIDS because
  of circumstances in their communities and
  families(This 0-8 year old group has different
  needs than older children)

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Potential Negative Consequences for a Child Born
in an AIDS-affected Community
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Why Include ECD Activities in HIV/AIDS Programs?

• Early childhood is the most rapid period of
  development in human life.
• The effects of HIV/AIDS on infants and young
  children are unprecedented and threaten to
  undermine achievements in child health and
  education in Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Young children affected by HIV/AIDS have special
  nutritional, educational, psychosocial, and
  protection needs.
• While most HIV/AIDS programs cover children of
  all ages and have the potential for benefiting
  young children, few recognize/address the needs
  of young children. And they should.
• In particular, the MAP approach is well designed
  to address ECD because it builds on national and
  community resources and supports innovative pilot
  initiatives.

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ECD Programs Substantially Benefit
AIDS-affected Communities. They

• Empower communities to recognize and support
  their most vulnerable members (typically women,
  infants, and young children).
• Improve disadvantaged childrens chances for
  survival and educational achievement.
• Address the intersecting needs of women and
  children. (For example, girls, who are more
  likely to become caregivers in AIDS-affected
  communities, are more likely to attend and
  continue school if they begin with an ECD
  program).

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ECD Programs Substantially Benefit AIDS-affected
Communities. They (continued)

• Provide quality childcare.
• Educate and empower caregivers to offer a
  holistic environment for young children so the
  children can thrive and become healthy,
  productive adults.
• Facilitate womens participation in the formal
  and non-formal work force, generating household
  income.

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Who Are Potential Direct Beneficiaries of ECD
Activities in AIDS-affected Countries?

• Young children who are HIV positive
•  
• Young children whose parents are very ill with
  HIV/AIDS and/or opportunistic illnesses
• Orphans and unaccompanied children
• Young children in institutions
•  
• All parents and caregivers of young children
•  
•  

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Direct Beneficiaries (continued)

• Households with young children whose caregivers
  are overwhelmed by multiple foster children
  and/or sick and dying family members
• Households headed by elderly caregivers who can
  barely provide for young children
• Households with young children that are headed by
  children
• Women receiving ECD services that provide access
  to information on HIV/AIDS
•  
• Communities where the threat of HIV/AIDS is
  present.

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What Policymakers Need to Know

• Government must assume a major role in assuring
  the care and protection of young children
  affected by HIV/AIDS.
• ECD is an essential component of a nations
  overall development priorities.
• Government must define and adopt a comprehensive,
  coordinated strategy that involves all
  appropriate ministries and districts to meet the
  broad needs of young children.

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What Policymakers Need to Know (continued)

• ECD interventions in AIDS-affected areas must be
  targeted to maximize limited resources and
  government must collaborate closely with the
  private sector.
• All existing policies and laws that affect young
  children should be reviewed the aim is to
  minimize the effects of HIV/AIDS on children and
  families.
• A coordinated (and integrated) combination of ECD
  services is always most effective.

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A Suggested ECD HIV/AIDS Policy Package

• Nondiscrimination Young children are not
  discriminated in formal/non-formal ECD programs,
  regardless of their HIV status or their family
  members
• Access for children Children in child-headed
  households have access to health care, nutrition,
  shelter, education, and other social benefits.
• Breastfeeding A breastfeeding policy for
  HIV-positive mothers, based on current medical
  knowledge and local culture, which does not
  dilute the importance of breastfeeding generally,
  while making provision to limit transmission from
  HIV-positive mothers to children.
• Prosecution for violence Compliance with laws
  relating to violence against women and children.
• Voluntary counseling and testing (VCT)
  Provision of VCT services to women and children
  is one of the priority policies which affects
  prevention, care, and support.
• Child welfare protection and care Care for
  children who lack adequate parental care or who
  are neglected or abused.

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A Suggested ECD HIV/AIDS Policy Package
(continued)

• Civil service training policy Civil servants
  serving young children and parliamentary
  committees for women and children to be trained
  in awareness of AIDS and issues pertaining to
  children/women affected by HIV/AIDS.
• Educators/social worker training policy Early
  childhood educators and social workers receive
  comprehensive training in HIV/AIDS matters
  (understanding needs of young children affected
  by HIV/AIDS non-discriminatory treatment of
  children affected by HIV/AIDS and their families
  and encouraging greater utilization of
  AIDS-related services).
• AIDS treatment access policy HIV-positive
  children have access to treatment for AIDS and
  other opportunistic diseases, whenever available.
• Young child surveillance policy Community-based
  monitoring systems supported to monitor the
  status of young children.
• Food assistance policy Food assistance takes
  into consideration the special situation of
  children ages 0-8 who are orphaned or otherwise
  identified as vulnerable children.

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Categories of Effective ECD HIV/AIDS Interventions

• Delivery of services to young children
• Education and support of parents
• Training and support of caregivers (including
  economic enhancement activities)
• Sensitization of the public, through the mass
  media, to the value of ECD
• Mobilization and strengthening of community-based
  activities to protect and improve the care of
  children.
• A strong public-private partnership is needed
• for all these interventions!

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A Minimum Intervention Package of ECD HIV/AIDS
Activities

• Local tracking and monitoring of the conditions
  of vulnerable children 0-8
• Family-based care for young orphans or for
  children who are neglected or abused
• Food assistance to households, community-based
  groups, and institutions that are supporting
  young children in communities affected by
  HIV/AIDS
• Community care centers/crèches to free up
  caregivers for income-generating activities,
  education, and health care
• Training of volunteers on topics related to the
  care of HIV-infected young children, including
  feeding, health, and development.

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ECD Guides for HIV/AIDS
Operational Guide for Supporting ECD in
Multi-sectoral Programs in Africa Amber
Surrency and Richard Seifman World Bank 2003
Assessment and Improvement of Care for
AIDS-affected Children Under Age 5 Chloe
OGara, Sandra Huffman and Diane Lusk AED 2000
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Immediate Actions for HIV/AIDS ECD

• Include ECD HIV/AIDS in each national HIV/AIDS
  agenda.
• Promote dialogue and partnerships among
  researchers, early childhood professionals,
  policymakers, and program decisionmakers.
• Identify and support champions at every level
  national, regional, and local in government
  and among NGOs to speak out on the importance
  of ECD for children and families with HIV/AIDS.
• Conduct basic rapid assessments of relevant
  policies and programs that the government, NGOs,
  community-based organizations, and religious
  groups for young children affected by HIV/AIDS.

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Immediate Actions (continued)

• Begin and build on the Minimum Intervention
  Package of ECD HIV/AIDS activities.
• Publicize the fact that the national HIV/AIDS
  program wants to finance HIV/AIDS activities for
  children under 8 who are orphans or other
  vulnerable young children.
• Get communities involved at all stages of program
  planning and implementation.
• Support innovative community-based initiatives,
  and scale up programs that are effective.

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Immediate Actions (continued)

• Explore community-based options where
  alternatives to orphanages do not exist
  (orphanages should not be the preferred choice).
• Have a monitoring system to identify and track
  young vulnerable children and their families
  (including those in institutions).
• Find out what other countries are doing at all
  levels and apply best practices.