From Early Child Development to Human Development

INVESTING IN OUR CHILDREN’S FUTURE FROM Public Disclosure Authorized EarlyEarly ChildChild DEVELOPMENT Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized HumanHumanTO DEVELOPMENT THE WORLD BANK EDITED BY MARY EMING YOUNG Public Disclosure Authorized From Early Child Development to Human Development Investing in Our Children’s Future Editor Mary Eming Young Education Sector Human Development Network THE WORLD BANK Washington, D.C. Proceedings of a World Bank Conference on Investing in Our Children’s Future Washington, D.C., April 10–11, 2000 © 2002 The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank 1818 H Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20433 All rights reserved. 1 2 3 4 05 04 03 02 The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Board of Executive Directors of the World Bank or the governments they represent. The World Bank cannot guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply on the part of the World Bank any judgment of the legal status of any territory or the endorse- ment or acceptance of such boundaries. Rights and Permissions The material in this work is copyrighted. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or inclusion in any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the World Bank. The World Bank encourages dissemination of its work and will normally grant permission promptly. For permission to photocopy or reprint, please send a request with complete information to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, USA, telephone 978-750-8400, fax 978-750-4470, www.copyright.com. All other queries on rights and licenses, including subsidiary rights, should be addressed to the Office of the Publisher, World Bank, 1818 H Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20433, USA, fax 202-522-2422, e-mail [email protected]. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data has been applied for. Contents Foreword . .v Acknowledgments . ix Chapter 1 Introduction and Overview . .1 Mary Eming Young I. The Benefits of Investing in Young Children Chapter 2 Early Child Development and the Brain—the Base for Health, Learning, and Behavior Throughout Life . 23 J. Fraser Mustard Chapter 3 From Child Development to Human Development . 63 Jacques van der Gaag II. Measuring the Early Opportunity Gap Chapter 4 Standards of Care: Investments to Improve Children’s Educational Outcomes in Latin America . 81 J. Douglas Willms Chapter 5 Ensuring a Fair Start for All Children: The Case of Brazil . 123 Mary Eming Young III. Evaluating the Effectiveness of Early Childhood Programs Chapter 6 Investing in Effective Childcare and Education: Lessons from Research . 145 John M. Love, Peter Z. Schochet, and Alicia L. Meckstroth iii Chapter 7 Mapping and Documenting Effective Programming . 195 Judith L. Evans Chapter 8 Effective Early Childhood Programs: The U.S. Head Start Experience . 219 Louisa B. Tarullo Chapter 9 Elements of Quality in Home Visiting Programs: Three Jamaican Models . 233 Kerida Scott-McDonald IV. The Private Sector’s Influence on the Public Sector Chapter 10 Role of the Private Sector in Early Child Development . 257 Robert G. Myers Chapter 11 Communities Can Make a Difference: Five Cases Across Continents . 293 Simone Kirpal V. Investing in the Future: Action and Policy Chapter 12 Narrowing the Gap for Poor Children . 363 Enrique V. Iglesias and Donna E. Shalala Chapter 13 The Political Challenge: Commitment and Cooperation . 375 Eduardo A. Doryan, Kul C. Gautam, and William H. Foege Authors . 393 Index . 397 iv Foreword A child’s early years are critically important, for they provide the foundation for the rest of life, as an adolescent and as an adult. Children who are well nurtured can live well and create better soci- eties for all. Yes, children are our future and by investing in them at their earliest ages we invest in everyone’s human and economic development. In April 2000, the World Bank hosted a global conference which addressed the benefits and challenges of investing in early child development (ECD). This landmark conference brought together the world’s leading experts, academicians, practitioners, and policymak- ers to focus on various aspects of ECD. They represented nongovern- mental organizations and other private-sector groups, government agencies, and multilateral and bilateral organizations. This volume contains the proceedings of the conference. With its publication, the World Bank hopes to encourage countries to adopt policies that tar- get early child development, especially for children and families living in poverty, and to spark other groups and organizations to invest in ECD programs. The reasons for focusing on children are more than traditional and still pertinent humanitarian concerns for those least able to look after themselves. New insights from neuroscience and the behavioral and social sciences underscore the importance of giving children a better chance in life. Nurturing them in their early years is vital for attack- ing the worst effects of poverty and may be an effective way to break the relentless, vicious cycle of poverty that, too often, crosses genera- tions. Children who live in poverty cannot go to school, do not learn to read, will have difficulty finding a job, and will have little hope for their, and their children’s, future. Poverty diminishes people’s spiritu- al resources, peace of mind, dignity, and freedom to live fully. And, unfortunately, poverty is like a bad gene—it is inherited. v vi Foreword Studies repeatedly show that children who are born in poverty, live in unsanitary conditions, experience little mental stimulation or nurturing, and have poor nutrition in their first years are far more likely than richer children to grow up stunted in both body and mind. Sci- ence tells us that early child development is critical and marks a child for life. The development of a young child’s brain affects physical and mental health, capacity to learn, and behavior throughout childhood and adult life. The wiring and sculpting of billions of neurons in the early years establish the base for developing competence and coping skills later. For nations, the first few years of a child’s life have a multi- plier effect. Young children who are well nurtured tend to do better in school and are more likely to develop the skills they will need to compete in a global economy. Investing in young children is an essential investment in human and economic development. During the past generation, we have seen greater progress than at any other time in history. Life expectancy has increased more during the past 40 years than during the past 4,000 years. In today’s world, the communications revolution holds out the promise of universal access to knowledge. In this world, 5.7 billion people participate and compete in a market economy, compared with 2.9 billion only 20 years ago. Yet, 100 million more people are living in poverty today than 10 years ago, and many of these are children. • Most children born into poverty are malnourished and neglect- ed and, hence, cannot attain their potential even before they enter primary school. • 125 million primary-school aged children are not in school, and most are girls. • Another 150 million children start primary school but drop out before they have completed 4 years of education. • Almost one-half of the children in the least developed countries of the world do not have access to primary education. • Nearly 1 billion people, or one-sixth of the world’s population, are illiterate, and most are women. • In the next 25 years, the world’s population is expected to increase by 2 billion people, and most of this increase will be in developing countries where poor families are already struggling. Foreword vii These statistics are discouraging, but they also indicate many opportunities for taking action. Early child development is one way to reverse the trends. ECD interventions and programs fundamentally offer all children a fair chance to compete and succeed in life. They help ensure that the competition is fair for all children by providing the equipment and training they need to get ahead. Even by age 6, children who are malnourished and have never had a book read to them face a playing field that is already unfair. Education is a great equalizer if all children have an equal opportunity to take advantage of it. To reduce poverty and achieve universal access to primary education, organizations must come together in support of early child development. The World Bank has an important role to play, but the total effort is much larger than the World Bank’s investment alone. A strategy of cooperation, interaction, and partnership among many organizations, governments, multination- als, private-sector institutions, and civil groups offers the best possi- bility for launching and sustaining broad action in early child development. Simply acknowledging that early child development is important or simply increasing resources for primary education are not sufficient. Specific goals, policies, and actions are needed to ensure that children can take full advantage of, and benefit fully from, the opportunities offered in primary school. The message communicated at this conference is the same as that conveyed 4 years ago at the World Bank’s first conference on early child development: “It is never too early to become involved but it can easily be too late.” This message is even more urgent today be- cause of the growing number of poor children and the accumulation of documented evidence showing that positive ECD interventions can make a difference.

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