The Caribbean Child Support Initiative Experience

International Symposium on Early Childhood Development Integrated ECD Policies and Programmes: The Caribbean Child Support Initiative Experience October 20, 2011

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Outline • State of ECD in the Caribbean • A programmatic response: The Caribbean Child Support Initiative • Filling a void through family and community interventions: The RCP model • Affecting Policy??

• Convergence of Programming and Policy • Results and sustainability

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State of ECD in the Caribbean • Widespread poverty (18-38%) in the Caribbean place children at risk for developmental delays • For these children the effects appear more prominent in the early years • Problems include cognitive delays and problems with school readiness 4

State of ECD in the Caribbean • A childhood scan further pointed to the low participation rate of children 0 – 3 years in early childhood programming • The region continues to perform poorly on deliberate targeting of the most vulnerable groups

• Coverage of early childhood development services is far from comprehensive 5

State of ECD in the Caribbean • Typically almost half of all rural families do not have information on how to stimulate children

• Nine out of ten 0-to-3 year olds have no chance to attend a day care centre or any other ECD programme 6

State of ECD in the Caribbean

Only one third of Caribbean parents tell stories, play games or sing songs to their children, and physical punishment begins early in a child’s life

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Strengthening the care environment…

• Situational analyses conducted independently singled out improving the care environment as an antidote to developmental delays • The prevention route underlined as a viable means of counteracting the devastating effect of inadequate care environments

• Improving parenting skills determined as best solution for reducing developmental delays 8

BvLF and CCSI • CCSI was initiated in 2001 and launched in 2002 • Bernard Van Leer Foundation became more strategic and systemic in its grant making • Linking the individual projects it funded through separate partners to a broader policy advocacy and communications framework

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Conceptualising the CCSI Practice Research

Advocacy and Communications

Creating the “right mix” 10

CCSI THREE STRANDS ECHO – Early Childhood Health Outreach Program FLP – Family Learning Program RCP – Roving Caregivers Program STEPS - Storytelling

Internship RCP Training KNOWLEDGE BUILDING & APPLICATION

Learning Community

Community Radio STEPS

Studies & Papers Marke ng POLICY ADVOCACY & COMMUNICATION

Fundraising

Strengthening the care environment

FAMILY & COMMUNITY INTERVENTIONS FLP

RCP ECHO

Adapted from Eyben & Wilson 2009

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Strengthening the care environment

Fill void

Develop and share common approaches

Focused policy advocacy

Consultation Engagement Mobilisation 12

FILLING A VOID: THE RCP “MODEL” 13

RCP: FILLING A VOID • RCP is an indigenous programme developed in response to the gaps and deficiencies in ECD • Early stimulation of the child and parenting education forms the core of the programme • RCP services directly target the most vulnerable children and families in the communities

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RCP: FILLING A VOID • The program is grounded in culturally relevant principles of ECD • It is a community based, family intervention that brings the service directly into the home • Has a strong parent education component that zeros in on parent management techniques

• Engages other civic organisations in the process 15

RCP Working Principles Prioritise rural, disadvantaged children Involve community persons Engage, train & sensitise caregivers Strong central focus primarily on the child Well defined curriculum & activity sets Structure the program of visits and interventions Incorporate other social support networks

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Shaping the Care Environment

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Affecting Policy Change

Conventional thinking among donors is that policy is a matter of rational linear planning based on objective evidence.

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Affecting Policy Change??

Evidence of problem

Plan or policy made

Resources and implementation

Lessening size of problem

Lack of cognitive development and brain development 19

Affecting policy…..

• Policy making process is much more political and messy • What gets researched and not researched – and therefore what is given the potential to become a policy issue – is often influenced by the political environment.

• Even when research is actually done and the findings are scientifically irrefutable, the evidence does not necessarily lead to the effective political mobilisation required for policy change • Evidence tends to get used to support a policy decision that has already been made on political and ideological grounds.

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INFLUENCING THE POLICY DISCOURSE ADVOCACY & OPPORTUNITY

RESOURCE ALLOCATION

POLICY ADVOCACY & COMMUNICATION

Strengthening the care environment

PARTNERSHIPS

Empowerment of cons tuencies (Rights approach) Ins tu onal convergence, realignment of resources

Integra on of all three elements

Studies & Papers ---> Promo onal/sensi za on material

21 Key cons tuencies as lead advocates: speak your rights/needs

Convergence of programming and policy • ECD traditionally had been the responsibility of several government departments • Planning ECD services had always been piecemeal and uncoordinated • CCSI has played a major role in bringing about a shift in policy approach to ECD services 22

Convergence of programming and policy • The Early Childhood Health Outreach (ECHO) programme is one example of our regional approach to integrated policy and programming • The historic signing of a letter of intent between the Ministry of Education, Health and Social Development in St Vincent and the Grenadines for the institutionalisation of the RCP concept through ECHO 23

Results: Policy shifts • In Grenada the RCP has been institutionalised within the Ministry of Social Development under its social safety net programme • Governments in other islands have are exploring options for the rationalisation of social service delivery while repositioning RCP as a critical social service • Such efforts speak to not only to the shift away from piecemeal uncoordinated efforts, also reflects a clear shift from ECD as welfare provisioning to citizen entitlement 24

Results and Sustainability

FDCC CCSI 25

FOUNDATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF CARIBBEAN CHILDREN • The FDCC was officially launched in June 2011 as a successor to the CCSI. • It was conceptualised in keeping with the CCSI purpose of strengthening the care environment for young children in the Caribbean • A vision of the Caribbean where young children from all social and economic backgrounds have equal opportunities to reach their maximum potential.

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To achieve this vision, FDCC set its mission to significantly increase the number of disadvantaged children who acquire the knowledge and skills to prepare them for entry into primary school and lifelong learning through access to quality early childhood development support services.

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Role for FDCC • FDCC will continue to provide a critical contribution to the provision of support for at-risk children. • In conjunction with its proactive role with the private sector to generate, manage and disburse private and corporate funds it could facilitate the convergence of initiatives into existing services (economic, education, health and social).

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Family Services

Corporate Support

GOVERNMENT

Education

Health

Community Development

FDCC will engage corporate actors in the discourse, thinking and planning for a multisectoral approach to ECD

Greater support for ECD and family support services

COMMUNITY Civic Religious

Home

Conclusion • While CCSI did not bring about meaningful policy change, it was able to bring about greater awareness about quality ECD services at the policy level and also served as a catalyst for policy dialogue.

• Some shift in policy were realised but only through demonstration of what works and strong advocacy and communications • Decision-makers are now moving beyond a “my sector” to an inclusive “our children” approach • By forging public-private partnerships in the region on matters of child advocacy, policy and financing the FDCC would be creating its own unique niche 30

Thank You

Presented by: Ms. Susan Branker Programme Director CCSI E-mail: smbranker@gmail.com

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