Rapid assessment of national preparedness for implementing nurturing care for early childhood development

Overview

The Framework for Nurturing Care for Early Childhood Development (ECD)1, recently released by WHO, UNICEF, World Bank Group and other partners provides a roadmap for action to support ECD. It builds on state-of-the-art evidence about how early childhood development unfolds and how it can be improved by policies and interventions. The framework reiterates the importance of the period from pregnancy to age 3, a window of opportunity when the brain grows faster than at any other time; a significantly large proportion of a baby’s brain being formed by this age. It emphasizes a comprehensive approach for healthy brain development, including a safe, secure and loving environment, with the right nutrition and stimulation from their parents or caregivers. Interventions during this window of opportunity not only lay a foundation of health and wellbeing whose benefits last a lifetime but continue to benefit the next generation. The framework also identifies five components of nurturing care (figure 1). The need for nurturing care does not end when the child reaches the age of 3. Therefore, the framework also emphasizes the need for continuity throughout middle childhood and into adolescence, to consolidate gains and address challenges associated with each stage.

Though the concept of nurturing care is new, countries in South-East Asia have already been implementing interventions to support early childhood development, which include various components of the nurturing care framework.