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
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What is the future of early childhood policies in Latin America and the Caribbean?
Did you know that in Ecuador a child living in a low-income household knows a quarter of the words that a child from a high-income household does? In Latin America and the Caribbean, despite the significant improvements in mortality and morbidity rates, and access to early childhood development (ECD) services, the biggest challenge to achieve greater impact and break the cycle … [Read more...] about What is the future of early childhood policies in Latin America and the Caribbean?
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
Seeds of Attachment (Semillas de apego): 3 keys to promoting child development in the context of armed conflict or displacement
The number is not trivial: 17% of the world's children were living in conflict zones by the end of 2020. Exposure to traumatic events in the first years of life can make the stress response system to be active in a prolonged manner. This is known as toxic stress, and it affects children's life trajectories. What challenges do we face in promoting child development in contexts … [Read more...] about Seeds of Attachment (Semillas de apego): 3 keys to promoting child development in the context of armed conflict or displacement
Breastfeeding and the Battle to Protect the Youngest Children Against COVID-19
My second granddaughter was born during one of the pandemic’s worst moments. Because her mother is a pediatrician, she obtained one of the first COVID-19 vaccines offered to health workers. Yet she approached the institutional birth with trepidation due to the danger of exposing the newborn to the virus that surely circulated in the hospital environment. It was winter … [Read more...] about Breastfeeding and the Battle to Protect the Youngest Children Against COVID-19