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Investing in young children : an early childhood development guide for policy dialogue and project preparation
Investing in young children is the responsible thing to do. All children deserve a chance to grow into healthy, educated, and competent people, no matter where and when they were born. While parents bear most of the responsibility for raising their children, especially in the early years of life, governments also have an important role during this critical time of human capital accumulation. For example, governments can ensure that all expectant mothers and young children have access to quality health services and nutrition. They can support parents and other caregivers in providing a positive and stimulating environment for children from birth on by promoting parenting information programs, investing in direct services such as home-based visits, funding daycare centers and preschools, or providing financial incentives to access good quality programs for infants and children. This Early Childhood Development (ECD) guide presents lessons and experiences that have been useful in informing the policy debate about ECD interventions and the design of such programs across the world. Whether the user of this guide is at the initial stage of deciding whether to expand an ECD portfolio or already in the program design stage, the content offers a range of evidence- based options to inform policy and investment choices.
eBook
Examining the influence of child nutritional disorders on early childhood development in Bangladesh: insights from the multiple indicator cluster survey
The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between various forms of child nutritional disorders and early childhood development in Bangladesh.
We analysed data from the nationally representative cross-sectional 2019 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey. Early childhood development was evaluated using the Early Childhood Development Index (ECDI), which comprised 10 yes-or-no questions across four domains: literacy-numeracy, physical well-being, socio-emotional development, and learning abilities. Nutritional disorders (e.g. stunting, wasting, and underweight) were measured based on the World Health Organization's height and weight guidelines. To investigate the relationships between child development and nutritional disorders, we used multilevel logistic regression models.
Bangladesh.
Data of 9,455 children aged 3 and 4 years.
Approximately 38 % of the children analysed experienced a nutritional disorder, with stunting being the most prevalent at 28·15 %. Overall, 25·27 % did not meet expected developmental progress measured by the ECDI. Stunted children were more likely to be off track developmentally, while those without any nutritional disorder were more likely to be on track. Socio-demographic factors, including age, sex, attendance in early childhood education programme, maternal education, maternal functional difficulties, region, and income, were identified as determinants of ECDI.
Childhood nutrition and socio-demographic factors significantly affect multiple developmental domains and overall ECDI among children aged 3-4 years. Prioritising policies and programmes that improve nutrition and address these determinants are crucial for fostering optimal development in children.
Journal Article
Exploring Associations Between Playgroup Attendance and Early Childhood Development at School Entry in Australia : A Cross-Sectional Population-Level Study
Despite widespread utilization, research exploring associations between playgroup and child development is scarce. We analyzed a national data set measuring the holistic development of children aged 4 to 6 years who commenced school in Australia in 2015 (n = 104,767), the Australian Early Development Census, to explore developmental differences between children who did and did not attend playgroup before school. Children who attended playgroup had better development at school entry relative to those who had not attended playgroup, after adjustment for a range of confounding factors. These differences were observed across all five developmental domains and were universal to children from a range of backgrounds. Results support the need for future research to explore the causal effects of playgroup on children's development. [Author abstract]
Journal Article
An equal start? : providing quality early education and care for disadvantaged children
In this topical book, leading experts from eight countries examine how early education and care is organised, funded and regulated in their countries.
Book
Maternal age at marriage and child nutritional status and development: evidence from Serbian Roma communities
This study aimed to assess whether maternal age at first marriage is associated with nutritional and developmental penalties in Roma children.
Roma nationally representative population-based study. Proxies for child nutritional outcomes included children's individual-level height-for-age z (HAZ) and weight-for-age z (WAZ) scores, HAZ and WAZ scores below two standard deviations from the median of WHO's reference population (children aged 0-59 months), and Early Child Development (children aged 36-59 months). Multiple and logistic regressions were used to estimate the association between maternal age at marriage and the outcomes, and other sociodemographic determinants as possible confounders.
Aggregated data from UNICEF's fifth and sixth Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys for Serbian Roma settlements.
Children (n= 2652) aged 0-59 months born to ever-married women aged 15-48.
64% of women married before age 18, 19% of children were stunted, 9% wasted, and Early Child Development score was low. Maternal age at first marriage was not associated with either nutritional status or early development of Roma children. Weight at birth (children aged 0-24) emerged as the main predictor of children's nutritional status. Boys were more likely to be shorter, more stunted and wasted than girls. Child's age, maternal parity and unimproved toilet facility negatively impacted nutritional status, while maternal literacy mitigated against poor nutritional and developmental outcomes.
Roma children up to 5 years of age bear no negative consequences of maternal early marriage. The underlying determinants of children's wellbeing include improved sanitation, child characteristics, maternal literacy and reproductive behavior, and parental investment.
Journal Article
Early childhood development in Tonga : baseline results from the Tongan early human capability index
Offers a comprehensive assessment of early child development across Tonga using the Tongan Early Human Capability Index instrument. The data has information on more than 6,600 children, ages three to five, living across 36 inhabited islands, and reported for 129 communities. On the basis of population figures from the Tongan census data collection provided by the Tonga Department of Statistics, 81 percent of three- to five-year-olds participated in the Tongan Early Human Capability Index. The report details the development of the instrument used to collect the child development data to ensure cultural validity and local relevance, while still capturing the fundamental aspects of child development that are consistent across countries and cultures. As well as the development of the instrument, other countries will also be interested in learning about h the method of data collection across a country with remote and isolated islands using an innovative partnership between health and education. Using existing systems and community governance structures, the data was not only collected but also disseminated back to communities to raise awareness and prompt community and government mobilization to support early child development. The process of developing and implementing the Tongan Early Human Capability Index across Tonga helped build national and district capacity, and is encouraging the establishment of community-based supports for children. Researchers, policy makers, and practitioners as well as advocates for the development and enhancement of systems to monitor early child development worldwide will find this publication highly significant.
Book
Validation of the Global Scales of Early Development (GSED) tool in rural Western Kenya
Background
Early childhood development (ECD) is a key determinant of long-term health, education, and wellbeing. However, one major global challenge is the lack of ECD assessment tools validated for use in low- and middle-income countries. To address this gap, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched in 2023 the Global Scales for Early Development, an open-access tool designed to generate reliable, valid, and internationally-comparable data on ECD for children aged 0–3 years globally. In this study, we examined the concurrent and convergent validity of the Global Scales for Early Development-long form (GSED-LF) for use with children aged 0–24 months in Kenya.
Methods
We analyzed baseline data collected in October-November 2023 as part of a cluster-randomized controlled trial evaluating a parenting program for improving ECD in rural Western Kenya. Primary caregivers (91% mothers) with a child under 24 months were enrolled across 64 villages in Busia and Homabay counties. The GSED-LF was administered to all children (
N
= 647). In a randomly selected sub-sample of children (
N
= 116), the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (Bayley-III) and the Caregiver Reported Early Development Instruments (CREDI) were also administered to compare their scores with those from the GSED-LF. Concurrent validity of GSED-LF was assessed in terms of its correlations with Bayley-III and CREDI. Convergent validity of GSED-LF was examined with respect to parenting outcomes, including parental stimulation, home caregiving environment, and maternal mental health.
Results
GSED-LF scores had moderate associations with those on the Bayley and CREDI across the domains of cognitive, language, and motor development. GSED-LF had small associations with socioemotional development and relatively weaker concurrent validity for younger children under 12 months. GSED-LF also demonstrated good convergent validity in terms of showing moderate associations with maternal and paternal stimulation and the home caregiving environment.
Conclusions
Overall, this study demonstrated the feasibility and initial validity of the GSED-LF as a direct assessment tool for use in rural Western Kenya. Additional psychometric analyses across diverse settings are needed to strengthen the reliability and validity evidence of the GSED-LF and establish it as a robust, globallyapplicable tool for assessing ECD in resource-limited settings.
Journal Article