What is Early Childhood Development (ECD)?
ECD is an umbrella term for a variety of interventions with young children and their carers/families, including: – Health and nutrition – Childcare – Education The World Bank, the World Health Organisation, UNICEF and UNESCO have all stressed the importance of ECD in improving physical and psychosocial wellbeing and in promoting cognitive gains in young children; and in directly or indirectly combating poverty. 3 facts from the World Bank, 1999: • The early childhood years provide the foundation for all later learning and the development of life skills. • Parents provide the child’s first and most important learning. • Investments in early childhood development have been shown to modify inequalities rooted in poverty and social discrimination by giving children from disadvantaged backgrounds a fair start in school and in life.
