Early Childhood Care and Education

Abstract

Early childhood is a time of great opportunity for learning and early interventions which promote social and educational development are well proven to be beneficial to children providing both short and long term benefits. In fact, high quality Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) delivers long-term dividends to children, families and society and as a result are more cost effective than later remediation 1. While every child can benefit from quality ECCE, for children living in poverty it can be an escape route out of the intergenerational cycle of poverty2. Participation in quality ECCE improves children’s social and emotional development, readiness for school and overall school performance.