1. 1 TOWARDS EQUITABLE EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT By Lieke van de Wiel, ROSA © UNICEF/2011/Dang

2. Global Context UNICEF’s Focus UNICEF’s Strategies CONTEXT AND UNICEF MANDATE

3. Nutrition Protection: Early detection Health Education Adolescents Development RELEVANT SECTORS AND ENTRY POINTS

4. Evidence Strengthening Convergence between sectors Equity: Groups and Geographically SOUTH ASIA FOCUS

5. RATIONALE: Improves nutritional and educational outcomes Prevents developmental delays and adverse health outcomes Improves quality of life of young parents CASE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD STIMULATION

6. What interventions in early childhood stimulation are: Most effective in bringing about equitable outcomes and Most strategic = cost-effective, sustainable, feasible KEY QUESTIONS

7. EARLY STIMULATION OVERALL OBJECTIVE To recommend a set of strategies to promote early stimulation and reduce disparities in child outcomes SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES Address barriers to access for most deprived Integration of stimulation in existing interventions Strengthening stimulation interventions © UNICEF/2006/Dang

8. METHODOLOGY BHUTANNEPALSRI LANKA PREPARATORY WORK Background research completed ✔✔✔ Indicators and data sources identified BMIS 2011MICS 2011 WFP/UNICEF Survey 2009 Preliminary bottleneck analysis undertaken ✔✔✔ COUNTRY LEVEL Government & partners mobilised ✔✔✔ Cross-sectoral discussions initiated ✔✔✔ Scenarios assessed ✔✔ ✔ PROPOSITION DEVELOPMENT Integration/strengthening recommendations designed ✔✔✔ Recommendations implementation ✔✔

9. KEY QUESTIONS Which children under the age of three are most deprived of early stimulation? What strategies can address this deprivation and bring about equitable outcomes? What is the estimated marginal cost of implementing these strategies? BOTTLENECK ANALYSIS

10. 10 SUPPLY DEMAND COMMODITY HUMAN RESOURCES ACCESS UTILISATION CONTINUITY EFFECTIVE COVERAGE TANAHASHI MODEL EXAMPLE Child- caregiver contact Training Caregiver- service provider contact Stimulation Playing with homemade toys Attending early childhood education

11. COVERAGE DETERMINANTS 11 BHUTANSRI LANKANEPAL (Mid/Far West) COMMODITY% children (<5) not left alone/with a child HUMAN RESOURCES % non-formal education (NFE) facilitators trained in early stimulation % mothers who accessed child welfare clinic (CWC) % FCHVs who attended a meeting (last month) ACCESS% population (15+) enrolled in NFE % mothers who received ECCE advice from CWC % FCHVs who participated in 7+ mothers’ group meetings (last 12 months) UTLISATION% children (3-4) with whom an adult engaged in 4+ activities % children (3-4) with whom an adult in 4+ activities CONTINUITY% children (<5) who play with homemade toys EFFECTIVE COVERAGE % children (3-4) attending ECCD % children (3-4) attending ECE % children (3-4) attending ECE

12. SRI LANKA: MOTHER’S EDUCATION 12 WFP/UNICEF Food Security and Nutrition Survey 2009/10CWC: Child Welfare Clinic

13. Enhance early stimulation components of MCH and nutrition Provide technical support to implement an M&E system for stimulation Develop of an ECD strategy for children with special needs SRI LANKA

14. Establish a working group to refine the integrated stimulation-nutrition plan Reinforce stimulation in the MoE’s parenting classes and reach the vulnerable groups with the classes Research stimulation-nutrition pilot to guide collaborative initiatives between ECD facilitators and FCHVs NEPAL

15. Disseminate early stimulation (comprehensive parenting class) through Non-Formal Education Include early stimulation in IMNCI and an IYCF package Develop an advocacy strategy to integrate stimulation in nutrition and other sectors Increase preschool in disadvantaged areas BHUTAN

16. Strategic Positioning and Concretizing Capacity in disability and multi-lingual early education Adolescents Development LOOKING FORWARD

17. 17 THANK YOU