Early Childhood Development
The first years of a child’s life set the stage for all future growth.
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Challenges
In the earliest years of life, especially from pregnancy to age three, babies need nutrition, protection and stimulation for healthy brain development.
Recent advances in neuroscience provide new evidence about a baby’s brain development during this time. As a result, we know that in their earliest years, babies’ brains form new connections at an astounding rate – according to Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child more than 1 million every single second – a pace never repeated again.
Solution
All Gulf States have identified early childhood development (ECD) as a priority in their national development plans and as an area of strategic engagement with UNICEF.
UNICEF is working jointly with the governments of the Gulf states to translate this political commitment into direct results for children and their families during the early years by ensuring that all children are guaranteed access to an integrated package of multisectoral services and a protective, safe and nurturing family environment. The focus is on the period from pregnancy to age six – including the critical first 1,000 days of life.
To support the Gulf States achieve this key result, UNICEF supports governmental and non-governmental partners to strengthen multisectoral responses in ECD including health and nutrition, early childhood education, child protection and social welfare institutions. UNICEF helps the government by providing technical assistance and access to models of international good practices that are appropriate for the Gulf.
Additionally, UNICEF supports the development of national policies and frameworks reinforcing a holistic approach to early childhood development and advocates at national and decentralized levels for adequate fiscal resources to be allocated for ECD.
To achieve change at the family level, UNICEF supports government efforts to strengthen the knowledge and skills on ECD among service providers, parents and other caregivers, with a specific focus on positive parenting, responsive care and early learning.
Most Gulf States have identified children with disabilities as a major priority within their ECD programmes. The programme of cooperation focuses on strengthening institutional capacity on the early identification of children with disabilities.
