Summary - Consultative Group on Early Childhood Care and ...

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FINDINGS ECD kits are used for myriad purposes in diverse settings. The main finding from this study was that ECD kits can serve a myriad of purposes. Because schooling was a priority in the Haitian context, the ECD kits were valued for their perceived role in promoting school readiness for children whose preschools had been destroyed and for those who had not had previous access to early childhood programs. Meanwhile, alternate sectors applied for kits and used them in diverse ways. Beyond providing opportunities for play, interaction, and stimulation of the young children, the kits served as entry points for facilitating access to child protection, health, nutrition, and sanitation services. Kits were fundamental in developing safe spaces for provision of psychosocial support to young children and caregivers. Graph 1 shows psychosocial outcomes of the kits for children, as reported by respondents. Graph 1: Reported psychosocial outcomes related to kit use. No. of Respondents 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 Happiness Security Positive Attitude Self Esteem Well-being Social Interaction Other Reported positive outcomes Beyond psychosocial outcomes, respondents also reported that kits were associated with support for all developmental domains in young children. Graph 2 shows the extent to which respondents identified kit usage with outcomes in five developmental domains: mental, intellectual, creative, physical, and social. Graph 2: Reported association of kit usage with developmental outcomes in young children. No. of Respondents 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Mental Intellectural Creative Physical Social Developmental domins The Use and Impact of ECD Kits Post-Earthquake Haiti 2010 <strong>Summary</strong> Document | 2
Meanwhile, the use of kits was not limited to educational settings. Graph 3 shows the distribution of respondents from the study, reflecting the diverse settings in which kits were used. Graph 3: Distribution of respondents. % of respondents representing environments using kits Orphanage Baby space/nutrition tent Child friendly space Pediatric/Baby clinic Formal preschool Informal preschool No answer The use of kits in a range of settings meant that nutrition, health, child protection, education and water and sanitation sectors came to offer and promote ECD activities, facilitating an integrated response to the needs of young children and caregivers. Other outcomes included facilitating attention to the needs of children and supporting other program outcomes by providing visible resources to attract participants. As a result, users sought ideas and supports beyond those offered in the accompanying Caregiver’s Guide. Outcome depends on pre-emergency conditions. A significant finding was that outcomes associated with kit use are highly dependent upon the ECD environment or context which existed prior to the emergency. Thus broad generalisations about impact and effectiveness of ECD kits need to take into account the prevailing ECD environment and related policy, infrastructure, and attitudinal context. For this reason, the recommendations from the Haitian study may need to be tempered for situations with differing attitudes and approaches to ECD in the pre-emergency state. A number of factors contribute to successful outcomes of ECD kits. While generalisations beyond the study parameters are cautioned, some implications for responding to early childhood development needs have been noted. The study revealed that ECD intervention in a post-emergency situation are most likely to be effective when ECD responses are (1) integrated and use multisectoral approaches; (2) have been sanctioned and approved by the community; and (3) are associated with investment in human resources. Beyond this, the following critical issues were noted: distribution of kits needs a coordinating body or process with governmental ownership; training is critical for kit effectiveness; and, when ECD initiatives incorporate local ownership, they can facilitate long-term plans for enhancing ECD in the affected region. The Use and Impact of ECD Kits Post-Earthquake Haiti 2010 <strong>Summary</strong> Document | 3
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Summary - Consultative Group on Early Childhood Care and ...

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