The Promise of Early Childhood Development in Latin America (Latin American Development Forum)

Contents......Page 12
About the Authors......Page 10
Acknowledgments......Page 18
Abbreviations......Page 20
Introduction......Page 22
Evidence on Early Childhood Development......Page 23
The Argument for Investing in ECD in Latin America and the Caribbean......Page 25
Overview of ECD in Latin America and the Caribbean Today......Page 27
Organization of the Volume......Page 29
Notes......Page 30
Early Development of the Brain......Page 32
The Case for ECD Interventions......Page 34
An Analytical Framework for ECD Outcomes......Page 35
ECD Policies......Page 44
Measuring Early Childhood Development Outcomes......Page 45
Notes......Page 47
2. Overview of Early Childhood Development in Latin America and the Caribbean Today......Page 48
The Macro Context: Poverty and Unequal ECD Outcomes......Page 49
The Micro Context: Health, Family Characteristics, and Socioeconomic Background......Page 55
ECD Policies in the Region: An Overview......Page 64
Summary......Page 70
Notes......Page 71
3. Evidence on Early Childhood Interventions from around the World......Page 74
Figure 3.1 Diverse Multisectoral Policies That Can Affect ECD......Page 75
Interventions in Developing Countries outside Latin America......Page 81
Notes......Page 83
Regional Investment in ECD......Page 86
Figure 4.3 Public Investment in ECD as a Percentage of GDP in OECD Countries, 2007......Page 89
Nutrition Programs......Page 91
Nutritional and Parenting Programs......Page 94
Figure 4.4 Baseline Measurements for Roving Caregivers Program in St. Lucia......Page 97
Preschool Programs......Page 107
Integrated Multiservice Programs......Page 110
Programs That Support the Reentry of Mothers into the Workforce......Page 116
Summary......Page 117
Notes......Page 118
5. Increasing Early Childhood Development Program Coverage in the Region: The Need for Comprehensive Approaches......Page 122
Status of Comprehensive ECD Policies in the Region......Page 123
Building a Comprehensive ECD Policy: The Basic Steps......Page 124
Expanding ECD Services in the Region......Page 139
Summary......Page 143
Notes......Page 145
6. Conclusion......Page 146
Current Efforts and Their Track Record......Page 147
The Road Ahead: Expanding ECD Services in the Region......Page 148
Stepping into the Future......Page 151
Table A1.1 Poverty around the World (Percent of Population)......Page 152
Table A2.1 Selected Programs......Page 168
Health, Hygiene, and Nutrition Interventions......Page 171
Educational Interventions......Page 174
Poverty Alleviation Interventions......Page 179
Notes......Page 182
References......Page 186
Index......Page 206
Box 3.1 Interpreting Existing Studies of ECD Interventions......Page 76
Box 4.1 Curriculum of an Early Stimulation Program in Jamaica......Page 96
Box 4.2 Program Evaluation: Hogares Comunitarios de Bienestar Familiar, Colombia......Page 101
Box 4.3 Program Quality of Hogares Comunitarios, Guatemala......Page 103
Box 5.1 Multilevel Funding of ECD in OECD Countries......Page 128
Box 5.2 The Emergence of the Swedish Preschool System......Page 130
Box 5.3 Impact Evaluation and ECD Expansion in Rio de Janeiro......Page 136
Figure 1.1 Early Childhood Development: Analytical Framework......Page 36
Figure 2.2 Poverty Rates Measured by GDP per Capita, 2007......Page 50
Figure 2.4 Percentage of the Poor Population Aged 25 Years That Has Completed Secondary School, by Country and GDP per Capita, 2005–06......Page 52
Figure 2.5 Percentage of Employed Women in the Informal Sector, by Country and GDP per Capita......Page 54
Figure 2.6 Prevalence of Underweight Children Aged 0 to 5 Years, by Country and GDP per Capita, 2002......Page 57
Figure 2.7 Distribution of Stunted Children Aged 0 to 5 Years, by Country and GDP per Capita, 2002......Page 58
Figure 2.8 Infant Mortality Rates (Deaths per 1,000 Live Births) by Country and GDP per Capita, 2005......Page 61
Figure 2.9 Percentage of Children Aged 0 to 6 Years Living in Poor Housing Conditions......Page 62
Figure 2.10 Variance in Student Learning Outcomes Explained by Family Circumstances, 2000 PISA......Page 63
Figure 2.11 Percentage of Children under Six Years in the Region with Access to Health Insurance, by Country and GDP Per Capita......Page 66
Figure 2.12 Gross Enrollment in Preprimary Education Worldwide, 1999–2004......Page 67
Figure 2.13 Gross Preprimary Education Enrollment by Country and GDP per Capita, 2004......Page 68
Figure 2.14 Expected Years of Preprimary Education by Country, 2004......Page 69
Figure 4.1 Preprimary Education Expenditure as Share of Total Educational Expenditure, 2004 (Percent)......Page 87
Figure 4.2 Public Expenditure on Preprimary Education as a Share of GNP, 2004 (Percent)......Page 88
Figure A1.1 Children Aged 18 Years or Younger Living below the Relative Poverty Line (Percent)......Page 153
Figure A1.2 Poverty Rates by Country (Percent)......Page 154
Figure A1.3 Households and Children Living in Poor Housing Conditions, by Country (Percent)......Page 155
Figure A1.4 Children with Access to Electricity, Water, and Hygienic Restrooms at Home (Percent)......Page 156
Figure A1.5 Children Aged 0–6 Years by Income Decile (Percent)......Page 157
Figure A1.6 Indigenous Children and Population, by Country (Percent)......Page 159
Table A1.3 Prevalence of Selected Nutritional Deficiencies in Children Aged 0–4, by Region......Page 160
Figure A1.9 Preprimary Gross Enrollment Rates, by Country, 2004 (Percent)......Page 162
Figure A1.11 Enrollment Rates by Income Quintile (1st and 5th), Children under Six Years Old......Page 163
Figure A1.13 ECD Enrollment Rates by Age and Ethnic Group, Ecuador......Page 164
Figure A1.15 Ratio of Health Insurance Coverage Rates of the First to the Fifth Quintile, by Country......Page 165
Figure A1.17 Children Younger than Six Years Receiving Vaccinations, by Country (Percent)......Page 166
Figure A1.18 Households That Benefit from Poverty Alleviation Programs, by Income Quintile and Country (Percent)......Page 167
Table 1.1 Most Commonly Used Psychometric Tests in ECD Evaluations......Page 46
Table 2.1 Comparative Nutrition Indicators for Developing Regions, 2005 (Percent)......Page 56
Table 2.2 Infant and Child Mortality Rates by Country (per Thousand Live Births), 1960–2007......Page 59
Table 2.3 Summary of Contextual and ECD Features in Latin America and the Caribbean, by Country (2005, 2006 or Latest Available Year)......Page 72
Table 5.1 Early Childhood Education Services, Select OECD Countries......Page 132
Table 5.2 ECD Policies in Selected OECD Countries......Page 140
Table A1.2 Poverty and Education Indicators, by Country......Page 158
Table A1.4 Employment Indicators for Women, by Country......Page 161
Table A2.2 Key Features of Selected Programs......Page 169