A global call to action for early childhood

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REGIONAL REPORTS
Strengthening regional capacity:
ECD in the Caribbean Region
At the CG’s 2007 Annual
Consultation, the 4 Cornerstones
provided a useful framework for
regional updates and discussions.
In collaboration with UNESCO, and with
support from UNICEF and the Inter-
American and Caribbean Development
Banks, the Caribbean Community and
Common Market (CARICOM) Secretariat
initiated a process to review progress
in early childhood policy development
in the region. Research in fourteen
Caribbean countries for Education for
All: Global Monitoring Report on Early
Childhood Care and Education found:
• A lack of services for children,
particularly for those under 3 years old
• Weak licensing, certification, and
monitoring systems
• A preponderance of small,
undercapitalised operators
• Low levels of training among
caregivers
• Absence of national standards
• Varying standards of care and quality
• Absence of sector-wide governance
at the national level, including
national plans, policies, or regulatory
mechanisms
• 87% of services in the region were
provided by community organisations,
churches, and private operators.
Caribbean forum on ECD
In March 2006, seventy participants
from seventeen countries across the
region and from nine regional and
international organisations attended the
Caribbean Early Childhood Development
(ECD) Forum in Kingston. The Forum
recommended key regional strategies
to address ECD as a development
priority in the effort to reduce poverty
and crime and to promote integrated
human and social development. These
included a number of coordination
mechanisms and partnerships. For
example, the CARICOM Secretariat
chairs the Regional ECD Working Group
to coordinate activity at the regional
level. Twelve member organisations
participate, including international
development partners, regional
NGOs, and research institutions. The
Working Group meets twice a year
to support ECD capacity building of
the CARICOM Secretariat in advocacy,
policy formulation, strategic planning,
monitoring and evaluation, and
community resource mobilisation.
UNESCO and UNICEF are members
of the group and support the
participation of the regional NGOs
and research institutions as required
to ensure comprehensive and effective
cooperation.
Key actions supported in 2006-08 by
UNESCO and UNICEF include:
• Development of guidelines for quality
ECD policy and standards
• Development of indicators to monitor
the performance of the ECD sector
Development of guidelines
A regional workshop was held in
Antigua in September 2006. The
twenty participating countries reviewed
existing ECD standards within the
broader framework of policies and
regulatory systems being established
at national level. The workshop
resulted in the drafting of guidelines
to assist CARICOM states to develop
comprehensive policy, minimum
standards, and regulatory frameworks
for ECD services. Consultation took
place with member states, through
intersectoral committees headed
by ministries of education, on the
acceptability and utility of the guidelines
prior to their adoption by CARICOM.
The guidelines will be published in
2008.
Development of quality
indicators
Access to data was identified as a critical
constraint to providing a full profile
of ECD at the national level. A project
was prepared to assist countries to test
and pilot data collection mechanisms on
an agreed set of indicators to monitor
the performance of the early childhood
sector. A pilot project in three countries
will test the feasibility and utility
of the proposed indicators and identify
and develop the modalities that will be
required for effective implementation at
the country level. Key actions for 2008
will include capacity building of early
childhood coordinators in the analysis
and use of data for reporting and decision
making, policy development, and
service improvement.
Next steps by the Regional
ECD Working Group
Key issues to be addressed through
technical assistance and through a
series of guidelines for the CARICOM
Secretariat and member states include:
• implementation of standards
• establishment of monitoring systems
• development of national financing
mechanisms and investment strategies
• establishment of organisational
structures for governance and support
in ECD sectors.
Presented by UNICEF and UNESCO
on behalf of CARICOM ECD Working
Group initiatives in the Caribbean
region.
For more information, contact:
Sian Williams, Caribbean ECD
Advisor, UNICEF
E-mail: sgwilliams@unicef.org
Paolo Fontani, Education Specialist,
UNESCO, Kingston Office, Caribbean
E-mail: p.fontani@unesco.org
COORDINATORS’ NOTEBOOK: ISSUE 29