these data, public and private citizens and organizations can leverage
culturally relevant, evidence-based, early child development (ECD)
policiesandtargeted investments to improve the potential of a na-
tion’s young children.
Several efforts to construct population-based outcomes of early
childhood are under way. One tool, the Early Development Instru-
ment: A Population-based Measure for Communities (EDI), is an in-
expensive and simple-to-administer assessment for children in com-
munities. This tool has been well tested and is being adapted and
applied in industrialized and developing countries. Wider use of this
instrument in different communities and countries will yield critical
comparative data on children’s early development and the effective-
ness of ECD policies and investments.
Early Child Development and Human Development
Early child development links closely with human development. Van
der Gaag (2002) states the connection precisely—
Early child development refers to the combination of physical, men-
tal, and social development in the early years of life.... Human de-
velopment [HD] refers to similar dimensions—education, health (in-
cluding nutrition), social development, and growth—but at the scale
of a nation.He goes on to say:Four critical “pathways” link ECD to HD. The first pathway runs
througheducation.Interventions during the early years of a child have
multiple benefits for subsequent investments in the child’s education,
ranging from on-time enrollment in elementary school to an in-
creased probability of progressing to higher levels of education. The
second pathway is through health.Like education, investments in
health are an investment in human capital and have long-term bene-
fits. The third pathway links the notion of improved social behavior254 J. Fraser Mustard and Mary Eming Young