This report and the associated 4-page brief synthesizes the results of searches on two databases, an extensive collection of grey literature, and 112 scholarly and scientific studies from more than 30 countries on nurturing care for young children during the COVID-19 crisis. Read More →
Babies being born during the COVID-19 pandemic have entered the world at a time of confusion and uncertainty. New questions have emerged on how to protect the health and safety of the babies and those who care for them while also still ensuring that all babies get the best possible start in life. This webinar provided an overview of the global guidance, an analysis of how countries are/are not adhering to the global guidance, and examples of best practices from Vietnam, Brazil, and Colombia. Read More →
This short animated video, the third in a series focusing on self-care interventions during COVID-19, includes tips on how caregivers/parents can relieve some of their own stress from COVID-19 and use every day activities to continue emotionally connected, attentive and responsive to their child’s needs. The video is based WHO guidance on early childhood development and responsive caregiving. This video was produced by PMNCH, UNICEF, and WHO and created by Studio Eeksaurus with support from Medical Aid Films. It is available in all six UN languages.Read More →
This video demonstrates how mothers with Covid-19 can breastfeed safely, providing their newborn with the best source of nutrition and protection to survive and thrive. The 60-second film was produced by award-winning Studio Eeksaurus of Mumbai with UK-based Medical Aid Films. The video is also available in the five official languages of the United Nations (Arabic, Mandarin, French, Russian and Spanish). This is the first in a series of videos regarding self-care during COVID-19. Read More →
The Reach Up Early Childhood Parenting Programme is based on the Jamaica Home Visit (JHV) intervention, designed by Sally Grantham-McGregor. The programme provides a comprehensive training package for trainers, supervisors and home visitors. It has been integrated with health, nutrition and social protection programmes in 15 countries. Read More →
Différents agents de santé et intervenants communautaires peuvent exploiter le kit Soins pour le développement de l’enfant pour donner des conseils adaptés selon l’âge aux personnes en charge de jeunes enfants, en vue de stimuler leur développement cognitif, langagier, social et affectif à travers le jeu et la communication.Read More →
Published by WHO and UNICEF in 2012, this publication recommends play and communication activities for families to stimulate the learning of their children. Also, through play and communication, adults learn how to be sensitive to the needs of children and respond appropriately to meet them. These basic care-giving skills contribute to the survival, as well as the healthy growth and development, of young children.Read More →
As custodian agency of SDG indicator 4.2.1 on ECD, UNICEF was tasked to lead the development of a new measure to track progress against the related target. In response, in 2015 UNICEF initiated a process of methodological development that involved extensive consultations with experts, partner agencies and national statistical authorities. This led to the development of the ECDI2030. This captures the achievement of key developmental milestones by children between the ages of 24 and 59 months. Mothers or primary caregivers are asked 20 questions about the way their children behave in certain everyday situations, and the skills and knowledge they have acquired.Read More →
The 2020 Country Profiles for Early Childhood Development were launched on 23 November 2020. In this commentary in The Lancet, the authors share what can be found in the 2020 profiles. They also reflect on the progress and challenges with respect to understanding how children are faring worldwide.Read More →
This collection of country profiles has been developed by UNICEF in collaboration with Countdown to 2030 Women’s, Children’s and Adolescent’s Health. The profiles are an attempt to compile, in one place, the available data for country and cross-country monitoring and to provide a baseline against which progress can be monitored. The 2020 country profiles cover 42 ECD indicators and 197 countries, including 60 high-income countries (HICs), that encompass 99·8% of the world’s children younger than 5 years.Read More →
DOWNLOAD ECD in challenging times Investing in early childhood development is good for everyone – governments, businesses, communities, parents and caregivers, and most of all, babies and young children. It is also the right thing to do, helping every child realize the right to survive and thrive. The Nurturing CareRead More →
The Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) Image Bank is a collection of over 900 images, developed from adaptations of UNICEF’s Community Infant and Young Child Feeding Counselling Package. These, and other similar images about recommended IYCF practices, have been used in more than 70 countries for counseling and training to promote behavior change for improved maternal and child nutrition. UNICEF and USAID Advancing Nutrition have partnered to make these images available for others to download, adapt, and use freely for any not-for-profit purposes.Read More →
UNICEF and USAID Advancing Nutrition, with the support of the Infant Feeding in Emergencies (IFE) Core Group represented by Save the Children and Safely Fed Canada, have developed a counselling package, Infant and Young Child Feeding Recommendations when COVID-19 is Suspected or Confirmed. The set includes 10 counselling cards and a recommended practices booklet.Read More →
This guide aims to provide evidence-based messages, practical guidance, case studies and resources that can be used to promote parents/caregiver’s mental health during the COVID-19 crisis, with a special focus on adolescent caregivers. It is based on the Caring for the Caregiver prototype package, and was jointly developed by UNICEF, in collaboration with the University of Witwatersrand and Harvard.Read More →
This report of a virtual technical meeting hosted by WHO on 9-10 June 2020 summarizes discussions on how best to monitor children 0 – 3 years of age for risk of developmental delay, disorder or disability in primary care services, considering factors at the level of the child, the family and the community.Read More →
Sign up for this free e-newsletter and Science of Early Child Development (SECD) will send you sample videos and other materials to inspire, engage and stir your curiosity. SECD is a knowledge translation and mobilization initiative with a global perspective that introduces and synthesizes transdisciplinary research underscoring the importance of the early years.Read More →
The Long Reach of Early Childhood (video – 9:47) features compelling voices from across the globe sharing messages about the imperative to invest in early childhood as a primary vehicle to health and equity. The video is part of a suite of online and offline educational materials in the Science of Early Childhood Development (SECD) collection.Read More →
The Brain Architecture Game is a tabletop game that helps people appreciate the impact of early childhood experiences on outcomes across the lifespan. Your goal is to build a brain that is as tall as possible, which represents functionality, and as sturdy as possible, which represents the ability to withstand stresses. The game is a 75-90 minute experience optimized for groups of 4-6 people per table. It can be played in small workshops, conferences, and large events, with as few as 8, or as many as 300 participants.Read More →
A range of articles, videos, and interviews with leading experts providing tips, insights and fun facts into the world of parenting. Includes a series of “mini parenting classes.”Read More →
This video, developed by the Alberta Family Welfare Initiative, describes what is meant by the concept “serve and return”. Serve and return is one of the most important forms of child and guardian interaction. It occurs when a parent or caregiver is responsive to a child’s verbal cues and actions. By providing positive feedback via eye contact, sound, words, and physical interaction, the adult helps spark the child’s interest and enthusiasm in practicing things like speech, language and social learning. Without active serve and return engagement, children can lose interest in these activities, potentially undermining the development of fundamental brain architecture.Read More →
