The first 1,000 days of a child’s life—from pregnancy through age two—are critical for development. A vast body of scientific evidence shows that experiences during this period have a lasting and profound impact on health, learning, growth, and overall well-being. Yet over the past decade, most attention has focused on these early 1,000 days, leaving another equally important … [Read more...] about Early Childhood Development and the Next 1,000 Days
Jorge Cuartas
Jorge Cuartas is a doctoral student in education and human development at Harvard University and a member of the Institute for Quantitative Social Science of the same University. His research focuses on understanding disparities in early childhood development and parental care worldwide, on studying the effects of physical punishment and child abuse, and on the design and evaluation of policies and interventions to promote early childhood development.
Nurturing care for young children in Latin America and the Caribbean: challenges and opportunities
The first five years of life are a crucial period when nurturing care establishes strong foundations for lifelong development, learning, and health. In a new study, we show that millions of children in the world, and in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) specifically, lack access to the most basic nurturing care, demonstrating the urgent need for innovative strategies and … [Read more...] about Nurturing care for young children in Latin America and the Caribbean: challenges and opportunities
When not going to preschool was normal
The Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region has had the longest preschool closures due to COVID-19 pandemic. From March 2020 to October 2021 LAC preschools for children 3-5 averaged 67.4 weeks of full or partial closure. In other words, children assisted -on average- less than ¼ of the time they were supposed to. Psychosocial-stimulation home visits and well-baby … [Read more...] about When not going to preschool was normal
Preventing violence in early childhood in the context of COVID-19
In late 2021, more than 80 officials and representatives from Latin America and the Caribbean met for a dialogue on the challenges faced and the innovations developed around the issues of health, social protection, and early childhood development since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In that Regional Policy Dialogue, we discussed extensively the subject of violence against … [Read more...] about Preventing violence in early childhood in the context of COVID-19