On the first day after winter break, my four-year-old son comes home from daycare joyful and happy that he’s back again to play with his friends and his favorite teachers. To see him so content makes me grateful for the luck we had finding a high-quality kindergarten where children are being positively stimulated and can thrive in their early years. In the Palestinian … [Read more...] about What’s Early Childhood Development Like in Palestine?
Why Early Identification of Disabilities in Children Matters
Every year on December 3, we celebrate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, raising awareness in the hopes of breaking down barriers and prejudices that prevent social inclusion. Among people with disabilities, children are especially vulnerable as undetected disabilities in early years and delays in rehabilitative initiatives lead to delays in development. … [Read more...] about Why Early Identification of Disabilities in Children Matters
Can We Measure Child Development Globally?
“Coming together is the beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success." This famous quote is a good introduction to the story we want to share with you in this post. Motivated by the need to report to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), countries around the world are working towards developing population-level indicators of early child … [Read more...] about Can We Measure Child Development Globally?
What Happens When You Link a Parenting Program to Routine Child Health Checkups?
Integrating early childhood development programs with health services can be an important way of reaching larger numbers of the millions of children and families in need. Understanding how to make this work so programs are effective and feasible is essential, yet there is little information to guide the process of integration so that it can be achieved at a large scale. … [Read more...] about What Happens When You Link a Parenting Program to Routine Child Health Checkups?
Put on Your Oxygen Mask First: How Self-compassion Improves Child Development
I am often told by my colleagues and friends that I am too harsh on myself and that I should have more self-compassion. I used to be quite unfamiliar with this concept. Self-compassion? Isn’t this a term people use to find excuses for themselves and be self-indulgent? … [Read more...] about Put on Your Oxygen Mask First: How Self-compassion Improves Child Development