Blogs

Protecting and promoting public financing of early childhood development during the COVID-19 crisis [i] By: @Jennifer Asman , @Ana Nieto , Jingqing Chai ©UNICEF/UNI342075 The silent crisis of care and learning affecting young children and their families More than a year into the pandemic the COVID-19 crisis continues to dominate the headlines. The world faces an unequal recovery. While COVID-19 vaccination has allowed some countries to begin to reopen and refocus on recovery, many other countries face new restrictions from further waves of the virus, as well as ongoing challenges to respond ...

Our analysis shows a chronic lack of funding from global leaders leaves young marginalised children at risk of falling even further behind. A major report by Theirworld reveals today that eight in 10 of the world’s poorest children – almost 50 million girls and boys - are missing out on vital pre-primary education because of a chronic lack of funding. Spending on pre-primary schooling accounts for less than 1% of the international community’s aid to education - equivalent to just 34 cents per child, per year. Theirworld has been campaigning for several years for 10% of education aid budgets to be spent on pre-primary education. Research shows ...

Tras años de adaptación e implementación del enfoque de Cuidado para el Desarrollo Infantil en la región es un buen momento para hacer balances y compartir los principales aprendizajes. Cuidado para el Desarrollo Infantil (CDI) es un modelo de intervención elaborado por OMS Global, OPS/OMS y UNICEF que busca fortalecer las capacidades de cuidadores y familias para promover el desarrollo integral de las niñas y los niños pequeños a través de recomendaciones basadas en la mejor evidencia disponible sobre el desarrollo infantil. Los y las profesionales que se forman en CDI, aprenden a acompañar a las familias brindando actividades de juego y de comunicación, ...

Twenty-six-year-old Ana was seven months pregnant without access to critical prenatal health care. Like many pregnant women living in Venezuela, she faced a horrific choice: remain in her home country, placing her unborn child and her own life at risk, or leave her family, including two daughters to take the dangerous journey across the border to seek health care for herself and her unborn baby in Colombia. “The situation in Venezuela has hit us all really hard. We’ve all cried. Leaving your family is not easy. I migrated during my pregnancy because I didn’t have the resources nor the care as a result of the problems in Venezuela.” The political and economic ...

A Celebration of Parents around the World and a Call to Action to support them Parents are children’s first and most important teachers. The care, support, protection, nurturing caregiving and playful interactions between children and their parents is the most critical piece in the developmental puzzle that enables children to thrive and become productive citizens in the world. Being a parent is the most important and rewarding job in the world. Yet, there has never been a tougher time to be a parent. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect all families around the world by increasing their care workload exponentially and increasing isolation. With the ...

Future-Proofing Our World Through Early Childhood Development Dr. Muhammad Musa, Executive Director of BRAC International It is no secret that we, as a global community, face numerous, multi-dimensional challenges, whether they be extreme poverty or climate change. In fact, these problems are only set to get worse in the decades to come. Though new initiatives and innovative solutions are bringing us hope, in order to fully address these challenges, we need strong, capable, and compassionate leaders now, and in the future. Leaders whose development we must invest in now. It is more important than ever for the global community to invest in Early Childhood ...