Date: 14 December 2020 (Monday)
Time: 4 PM (Singapore Time) GMT+8
Duration: 90 minutes
The Asia Pacific Regional Network for Early Childhood (ARNEC) is hosting a webinar series entitled 'Nurturing care for young children: seeking solutions for addressing disparities heightened by the impact of COVID-19'.
The thematic focus is on health and nutrition, early learning, responsive caregiving, and child safety and security, all of which are dimensions of nurturing care. The series will explore the long-term impact of COVID-19 on these nurturing care components, especially on the most vulnerable groups, and draw out innovations and solutions from the countries as they design and implement their recovery and resiliency plans.
The first webinar focussed on the status and solutions in providing early learning opportunities for young children in the Asia-Pacific region during and beyond the pandemic.
The following questions were explored:
1. What challenges did the pandemic introduce in the delivery of early learning services, especially for the most vulnerable groups?
2. What are the long-term effects of COVID-19 on early learning opportunities and readiness for school based on experience from other similar crisis situations in the past?
3. What policy changes or developmental interventions are being designed or implemented to support home-, facility-, and institution-based early learning opportunities in the context of pandemic adjustments?
4. How do governments/ countries ensure that they address the early learning needs of the most vulnerable and marginalised groups of young children?
5. What are the possible entry points for collaboration with other sectors within your program implementation?
6. What preparations have been made for the re-opening of ECE services in your country, in terms of governance, safety, teachers’ training, and parental communications and support?
7. What challenges remain? What key messages would you like to share? What is your call to action?
