ECCD in the Philippines “Taking Care of Our Future ,Today”

Topics for discussion Child’s stationer ECCD policy framework ECCD components & objectives Implementation structures ECCD interventions & delivery modes Implementation status Key challenges

Situational Analysis 85.2 million Filipinos (2005) 32.8 million Filipino children aged 0-17 (43.4% of population) 2.5 million indigenous children 13.5 million aged 0-6 Fertility rate (3.6) Population growth rate (2.4%) 33.7% or 4.3 million families are at risk or live below the poverty threshold

Out of every 100 Filipino children: 8 will likely die before their 5th birthday 30 suffer from under nutrition 26 are not immunized against preventable diseases 10 suffer from some form of physical or mental disability or developmental delay 67 of the 3-4 year olds are not able to experience early childhood stimulation 40 five-year olds are not able to enter preschool 17 never go to school

How about the unborn ? 7 out of 10 pregnancies are high-risk Many babies lose their mothers due to complications of pregnancy and child birth The problem of under nutrition begins in the womb.

Threats facing Filipino children are related to: Health Nutrition Education Protection

ECCD in the Philippines Responds to the needs and indivisible rights of 0-6 year old children; Offers a full range of holistic services for optimum growth and development; Involves all sectors of the society, including families and communities; Overall purpose was to support government’s efforts to improve child survival and readiness for productive life.

Legal Bases of ECCD 1978 – PD 1567 “The Barangay Day Care Centre Law” 1987 – RA 6972” The Barangay Level Total Development and Protection of Children Act” 2000 – EO 310 “Child 21” 2000 – RA 8980 “Early Childhood Care and Development Act”

ECCD System Components ECCD Curriculum –refers to the developmentally and culturally age-appropriate learning activities and materials; it combines health care and nutrition, early learning psychosocial, and cultural activities. Parents and Community Involvement – relates to the strengthening or parents and community as active partners in ECCD projects and programs. Human Resource Development Programs – professionalizing the ECCD service provides/supervisors/program managers and upgrading their core competencies ECCD Management – processes of planning, implementation, supervision, financial management, monitoring, and evaluation of ECCD program Quality Standards and Accreditation – ensure that ECCD programs and each component of the ECCD system complies with quality standards.

ECCD Objectives Child Improve infant and child survival rates Enhance the holistic development of young children (physical, social, emotional, cognitive, spiritual); Facilitate a smooth transition from care and education provided at home to the community and to the school. Ensure that young children are adequately prepared for the formal learning system; Establish and efficient system for early identification, prevention, referral and intervention for development disorders and disabilities in early childhood

Continuation – ECCD Objectives Parents Enhance the role of parents and other caregivers as the primary educators and caregivers of their children Service Providers Enhance the capabilities of service providers and their supervisors Community Enhance and sustain the efforts of communities in promoting ECCD programs Quality Standards Improve the quality standards of public and private ECCD programs

National Government – Government Agencies – Inter Agencies Province/ Highly Urbanized Cities City/ Municipality Program Management & Supervision Barangay (Village) Young Children and Families ECCD Service Delivery ECCD Service Delivery Province- Monitoring/ Technical Support National – Standard Dev’t Co Financing

Ex – Officio Members Phil. Information Agency NAPC –CBS Sectoral Rep

ECCD Program Interventions Refers to the full range of health, nutrition, early education, psycho-social and other services/interventions that provide for the holistic needs of children from the 0-6 years to promote their optimum growth and development Center-based Home-based

ECCD Service Delivery Modes Home-based -family day care, neighborhood play groups, parent education and home-visitation programs Center-based -day care centers, child-minding centers, public and private preschools (and/or kindergarten) community and church-based early education programs, workplace child care and education, health and nutrition centers and posts

STATUS OF ECCD in the Philippines ECCD Law coverage areas: 17 administrative regions 46 provinces (56%), 15 highly urbanized cities and 218 priority municipalities (national coverage is 79 provinces and 25 HUCs) GOP-UNICEF coverage areas: 24 areas (19 provinces and 5 cities) ECD Project funded by World Bank-ADB 13 provinces, 132 municipalities and cities in 3 regions (VI, VII, XII) Other ECCD players Plan international, Save the Children, World Vision, Christian Children’s Fund, Local NGOs, church groups, private sectors, labor groups, parents’ groups, etc.

Policies and standards formulated Newborn National Plan of Action for Children Adoption of ECCD checklist as standard tool for objectively measuring child development in 7 domains: *Gross Motor, Fine Motor, Self-help, Receptive language, Expressive language, Cognitive, Social Emotional

National pre-school education program for 5 year olds (EO 349, 2004) Standardize curriculum for 5 year olds in barangay day care centers and train day care workers and teachers Integrated health and nutrition components (weight, deworming and supplemental feeding) Day care centers to hold separate sessions for 5 year olds using standard curriculum Set up preschool classes in barangays without day care center for public preschool Pilot implementation in 30 provinces (in 91 poorest municipalities) for 2005-2006 to reach some 26000 children Increase annual coverage to reach 100% of coverage children Preschool to be eventually part of the education ladder

Accreditation and licensing of center-based ECCD programs Selection of ECCD Learning Materials (for 0-6) Micronutrient Supplementation (weekly iron supplementation) Food Supplementation (supplemental feeding program as part of the over-all child nutrition program)

ECCD Early Learning Standards – statements of expectations of what children (0-6) should know and are able to do (age, developmentally and culturally-appropriate, gender-fair, holistic and integrative) Framework on Parent Education and Involvement Advocacy and Mobilization of Communities System on early screening, detection and identification of children with disabilities Development of a Human resource development program to professionalize ECCD service providers, volunteers, supervisors and program managers

Capacity Building Training of trainers (TOT) Training of ECCD workers/service providers Research/Studies 11 studies have been completed under ADB-WB ECD Project Social Marketing and Advocacy “Bright Child” – unifying campaign/brand names in pursuing integrated approach to ECCD

SUBAYBAY BATA MONITORING SYSTEM Vital Components Macro Monitoring System (done in 2003) Micro Monitoring System (2005-2008) A. Macro Monitoring System 1. Child status monitoring 2. Based on administrative reporting systems and the census and the surveys conducted by the Philippine Statistical System 3. Two reports to be generated: CRC Country implementation (every five years) and Annual State of Filipino Children Report

B. Micro Monitoring System Responds to the call for an issue and area-based monitoring system Requires setting up of monitoring sites (at barangay level) and capability of building for data banking, analysis and utilization Explore on the development of a bridge program between existing community-based MS and Dev Info software Aimed at making the basic unit of local government be responsible for data management

Key Challenges in ECCD Enhancing policy and program environment Reducing disparities/increasing access to and improving quality of ECCD services Increasing investment and spending for ECCD Intensifying advocacy and education of parents, families and communities for increased participation on ECCD

Increasing appreciation on the important of ECCD as a foundation for human development Institutionalize the Subaybay Bata Monitoring System at various levels of governance (equity, effectiveness, efficiency) Strengthening local governance on ECCD (databanking and MIS, financial management, planning and programming, advocacy and mobilization) Delivery of 4 legacies on children (local development and investment plan, local code and local state of children report) Performance-based incentive and awards system

Emmalita M. Mañalac MD, MPH, FPPS THANK YOU! Emmalita M. Mañalac MD, MPH, FPPS