C A R I B B E A N E A R LY C H I L D H O O D G O O D P R A C T I C E G U I D E
1 DESIGNING EARLY CHILDHOOD POLICIES
1.1. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK A Policy is a course or general plan of action adopted by a government.1 It is expressed as a statement of intent and is accompanied by the goals or objectives which a government would like to achieve and strategies for achieving these goals and objectives.2 A National Early Childhood Policy embodies a country’s commitment to young children 3. It identifies and guides general programme development areas. It also provides a framework for programme co-ordination strategy, structure, and financing procedures.4
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Obtain accurate information from the relevant sources on the external operating context.
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Obtain accurate information - both qualitative and quantitative from the relevant sources on the ECD sector.
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Conduct the situation analysis.
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Prepare issues paper based on findings.
PROCESSES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT (ECD) POLICY DESIGN Effective Policies need to be well designed. Cross cultural studies have identified a number of processes which have been proven to be essential in the design of effective Early Childhood Policies. These include viz: zz Adequate preparation; zz Comprehensive situation analysis; zz Broad-based consultation; zz Policy draft and consensus building; zz Final Submission and Adoption of Policy.
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Oxford Dictionary CARICOM Regional Guidelines For Developing Policy, Regulations and standards in Early Childhood Development Services EFA Global Monitoring Report: Strong Foundations. Early Childhood Care and Education. Emily Vargas-Baron - Planning Polices for Early Childhood Development: Guidelines for Action.
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