Early childhood development research offers solutions to several of the world's social and economic problems - solutions that can break the cycle of intergenerational poverty, improve the health, education, and wellbeing of the global population, and yield high rates of return on investment in the formative years of life. And yet over one-third of children worldwide under five years of age still fail to achieve their full developmental potential due to malnutrition, poverty, disease, neglect, and lack of learning opportunities.
Handbook of Early Childhood Development Research and Its Impact on Global Policy calls for placing early childhood development at the top of the global policy agenda, enabling children to achieve their full developmental potential and to contribute to equitable economic and social progress worldwide. The volume presents evidence-based programs and policies for advancing the positive development of young children across the globe, focusing on developing countries. An international ensemble of scholars, policymakers, and practitioners present evidence from multiple disciplinary, sectorial, and analytical perspectives, emphasizing the importance of scientific findings in promoting child development and addressing programmatic challenges to quality, sustainability, measurement, finance, and capacity. Sponsored by the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD), the premier international association of developmental scientists, and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), a leading organization for promoting children's wellbeing worldwide, this Handbook will be invaluable to policy advocates, program managers of national governments, international NGOs, and development agencies, as well as to scholars and students in the areas of child development and global policy.
Preface ; Acknowledgments ; Contributors ; SECTION 1: Introduction and Framework for ECD Policies ; Chapter 1: Early Child Development: Translating Research to Global Policy. ; Pia Rebello Britto, Patrice L. Engle, and Charles M. Super ; Chapter 2: The Powerful Reach of Early Childhood Development: A Science-Based Foundation for Sound Investment ; Jack P. Shonkoff and Linda Richter ; Chapter 3: Situational Analysis of Young Children in a Changing World ; Patrice L. Engle, Nirmala Rao, and Oliver Petrovic ; Chapter 4: Global Policy Landscape and Early Child Development ; Pia Rebello Britto, Nurper Ulkuer, William P. Hodges, and Michael F. McCarthy ; SECTION 2: Analytic and Disciplinary Perspectives ; Chapter 5: The Nature and Impact of Risk and Protective Influences on Children's Development in Low Income Countries ; Theodore D. Wachs and Atif Rahman ; Chapter 6: Economic Perspectives on Some Important Dimensions of Early Childhood Development in Developing Countries ; Jere R. Behrman and Sergio S. Urzua ; Chapter 7: Culture and Early Childhood Development: Implications for Policy and Programs ; Sara Harkness, Charles M. Super, Caroline Johnston Mavridis, Oumar Barry, and Marian Zeitlin ; Chapter 8: Voices Less Heard: The Importance of Critical and <"Indigenous>" Perspectives ; Alan Pence ; SECTION 3: Programmatic Approaches to ECD ; Chapter 9: The Role of the Health Sector in Early Childhood Development ; Patrice L. Engle, Mary E. Young, and Giorgio Tamburlini ; Chapter 10: Nutrition Based Approaches to Early Childhood Development ; Aisha K. Yousafzai, Mohammad Y. Yakoob, and Zulfiqar A. Bhutta ; Chapter 11: Education Based Approaches to Early Childhood Development ; Chloe O'Gara ; Chapter 12: Preventing Violence against Young Children ; Cassie Landers, Clarice Da Silva e Paula, and Theresa Kilbane ; Chapter 13: Social Protection and Welfare Systems: Implications for Early Childhood Development ; Lawrence Aber, Linda Biersteker, Andrew Dawes, and Laura Rawlings ; Chapter 14: Community Based Approaches to ECD: A Matter of Degree ; Jacqueline Hayden and Sithu Wai ; Chapter 15: Parents and Communities: The Key to Understanding <"Faith Based>" Early Childhood Services and Programs ; Kathy Bartlett, Paul Stephenson, and Louie Cadaing ; Chapter 16: Early Education for All: Is there a Role for the Private Sector? ; Martin Woodhead and Natalia Streuli ; Chapter 17: Media and Early Childhood Development ; Daphna Lemish and Barbara Kolucki ; SECTION 4: Measurement and Monitoring of Programs and Policies ; Chapter 18: Assessing Early Child Development ; Marc H. Bornstein and Jennifer E Lansford ; Chapter 19: Monitoring Progress Towards the Fulfillment of Rights in Early Childhood Under the Convention on the Rights of the Child to Improve Outcomes for Children and Families ; Clyde Hertzman, Ziba Vaghri, and Adem Arkadas ; Chapter 20: Improving Policies and Programs for Educational Quality: An Example from the Use of Learning Assessments ; Dan A. Wagner ; SECTION 5: Building and Strengthening the ECD Programs ; Chapter 21: National Agency Systems ; Maha B. Homsi and Lara A. Hussein ; Chapter 22: Capacity Building for Early Child Development ; Sara L. Hommel ; Chapter 23: Barriers to Service Provision: Lessons Learned from Donor-Supported Early Child Development (ECD) Projects ; Mary E. Young ; Chapter 24: Building and Strengthening National Systems for Early Childhood Development ; Emily Vargas-Baron ; Chapter 25: Effective Financing ; Alexandria Valerio and Marito H. Garcia ; SECTION 6: Conclusions ; Chapter 26: Paradigm Shifts and New Directions in Research on Early Child Development Programs in Low- and Middle-Income Countries ; Hirokazu Yoshikawa and Ana Maria Nieto ; Chapter 27: Closing Commentary: Implications for Development ; Deepa Grover ; Chapter 28: Closing Commentary: Implications for Capacity ; Aster Haregot ; Chapter 29: Closing Commentary: The Future of ECD in the Global Development Agenda ; Charles M. Super, Pia Rebello Britto, and Patrice L. Engle
