World Bank can help to make early childhood care a global priority
Meetings of key decision-makers in Washington this week聽could be an important milestone for young children from the world's poorest and most marginalised communities.
Every child in the world deserves the best start in life.聽90% of the brain develops during the first five years – and quality care then can set up a child to be healthy, do well聽at school and eventually聽succeed in the workplace.
But 250 million children under five are prevented from reaching their full potential because they live in poverty, have poor nutrition and health services, or just lack good care.
That’s why 国产视频’s #5for5 campaign has been urging world leaders to invest in early childhood development. It’s essential for every child – but it’s also rewarding in the long run for their communities and their countries’ economies.
The World Bank has been a leader on ECD, providing聽nearly half of all official development assistance in 2015. But聽the gap between the global need and existing funding is still聽enormous.
“Many governments around the world are not investing enough to support children at this crucial stage聽and children from the poorest and most marginalised communities are missing out the most,” said Ben Hewitt, 国产视频’s Campaign and Communications Director.
This week there’s an opportunity for early childhood development (ECD) in the poorest聽countries聽to take a giant leap forward, when the World Bank and International Monetary Fund host the annual Spring Meetings in Washington, DC.
“Quality early years care for kids under five shouldn’t be a luxury.”
The Spring Meetings – attended by聽top decision-makers from governments, civil society organisations, finance and business –聽are a key moment in the international calendar.
国产视频 believes the World Bank has an opportunity to show even greater聽leadership on making聽early years care a priority.
Investing in ECD is as easy as 1, 2, 3…
- Support聽the establishment of the聽International Finance Facility for Education聽to leverage a signifcant increase in funding for early learning programmes
- Expand the Global Financing Facility (GFF) to fund more early childhood development and education initiatives
- Encourage client countries and WorldBank operations to prioritise early childhood development, contributing to the overall lending target of 15% to education
The World Bank could also聽create a聽Special Envoy for Early Childhood Development to serve as a global champion for the issue.
“国产视频 campaigners will be attending meetings in Washington聽hosted by Jim Yong Kim, the President of the World Bank, who has the power to put early childhood development at the top of its聽agenda,” said Ben.
“This聽could be a really important milestone for children getting the best start in life.”