Conclusion
Early child development must be part of every nation’s vision for the
future. Further, ECD policies and investments must be long term—for
the returns on these investments will come over 20–30 years. The re-
sults from longitudinal studies and economic analyses continue to
strengthen the rationale that ECD programs are a productive invest-
ment—anda business imperative in a global knowledge economy.
Whether in a developing or industrialized country, the business
community must invest in ECD initiatives to assure productive and
competitive work forces. Working together, business and government
leaders are devising innovative strategies for raising awareness of
early child development, creating demand for ECD services, and fi-
nancing ECD programs in communities with limited resources.
To bring ECD programs and policies to scale, effective ECD pro-
grams must be given sustained support—from national, interna-
tional, and multinational bodies. Quality ECD programs are costly
and they cannot be expanded to scale, regionally or nationally, with-
out additional funding and resources—including trained personnel,
adequate facilities, and educational materials.
Monitoring of children’s outcomes and assessment of ECD options
are, of course, two imperatives for research and evaluation. We must
know which programs benefit which children the most, whether the
intended effects of a policy or program are achieved, and what types
of programs and curricula are effective in different settings and cir-
cumstances. With sufficient funding and this knowledge, the world
community will have no other reason for not acting speedily and effi-
ciently to bring ECD services to all children.
Web Resources [as of November 2006]
World Bank ECD website: http://www.worldbank.org/children
Mary Eming Young’s e-mail: [email protected]
The ECD Agenda: Closing the Gap 13