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Early childhood care and development (ECCD)
The first six years of a child’s life is a time of great promise and rapid change, when their developing brain is most open to the influence of relationships and experiences. However, millions of children across the world are at risk of not reaching their full potential because they do not get the care and stimulation they need in the early stages of life.
To achieve the SDGs and ensure that all girls and boys, especially the most deprived, are developmentally on-track we need to start early. Save the Children works with families and communities to help children to develop foundational learning skills in the years leading up to school. Save the Children also works with communities and partners to advocate for policies and practices that recognise the value of starting early and investing in cost-effective, inclusive quality approaches to ECCD.
Our goal is that all children will access quality inclusive early childhood care and demonstrate improved child development outcomes.
Save the Children’s experience shows that to reach the most vulnerable children, we need to go beyond preschools. High quality caregiving must be supported both in homes and in early learning centres to build strong foundations for young girls and boys. Moreover, rural, linguistic minority and refugee children need urgent support as they are falling behind. Save the Children works to address these gaps through targeted interventions, such as early learning programmes that support children’s learning at home in emergency and post-disaster settings, among remote and nomadic communities, and in areas where preschools are not available or accessible.
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First Read Thailand Baseline Report
This report examines the results of the First Read Thailand baseline assessment. First Read is a Save the Children UK approach that recognizes the importance of home-based Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) approaches. Home-based ECCD is the cor
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National ECCD Impact Evaluation Study 2015
The need for early childhood care and development (ECCD) services is growing as family and social structures evolve with development and changing times. There is growing awareness amongst parents and government stakeholders about the benefits of early chi
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National ECCD Centre Program Impact Evaluation 2015
The Ministry of Education and Save the Children in Bhutan completed an impact evaluation of the national ECCD center program in 2015. ECCD center programming has been steadily expanding in Bhutan, in accordance with Realizing Vision 2020: Education Sector
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Baseline Study on International Development and Early Learning Assessment (IDELA): Kavre
Save the Children began implementing Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) programs in Nepal in 1997 to help children learn and develop their full potential. Recently, Save the Children developed the International Development and Early Learning Asse
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Assessing the Construct Validity of Save the Children's International Development and Early Learning Assessment (IDELA)
The International Development and Early Learning Assessment (IDELA) was developed by Save the Children to assess early childhood development holistically. It has been used in 30 mostly low- and middle-income countries. High-quality measurement plays a cri
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International Development and Early Learning Assessment (IDELA) Report in Yunnan, China
This study (published in Chinese) assesses the situation of early childhood development in Yunnan, China, and provides information for post-project intervention design. IDELA Documents
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Bangladesh Shishuder Jonno, Two-Year Preeschool Program: IDELA endline report
This report draws on a quasi-experimental impact evaluation design to explore the impact of Save the Children’s two-year sponsorship-funded preschool program in Meherpur, Bangladesh. A baseline was administered in February-March 2015 to 258 intervention
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Out of School and Out of Work: Risk and opportunities for Latin America's Ninis
Children and adolescents who neither work nor go to school are often known as ‘ninis’ throughout Latin America. One in five youths in the region are living as ninis. This persistent problem, according to the World Bank Group, needs to be given closer cons
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Baseline Study on International Development of Early Learning Assessment (IDELA): Saptari
Save the Children began implementing Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) programs in Nepal in 1997 to help children learn and develop their full potential. Recently, Save the Children developed the International Development and Early Learning Asse
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The Power of Reading: How the next government can unlock every child's potential through reading
The mission of the Read On. Get On. campaign is to ensure every child is able to read well when they leave primary school by the year 2025. This document is directed toward the United Kingdom government, elected in 2015. This report sets out the key polic
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Ethiopia: ELMI Parenting Endline
Save the Children’s Early Literacy and Math initiative (ELM) began in the West Showa region of Ethiopia in early 2012. In recognition of the increased interest and commitment by the Government of Ethiopia to increasing access to ECCD services, a project w
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Ethiopia ELM Endline: September 2015
Save the Children supports the Ethiopian government to strengthen Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) in Tigray, Oromia, Gondar (Amhara), Afar, and the Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR) through both grants and sponsorship f