Early childhood care and development
what-we-do_health_eccd_article
A child’s early years are the most critical in terms of development. Key brain connections are made during this time, which provide the foundations for each child’s future learning, well-being and prosperity.
Plan’s early childhood care and development (ECCD) work focuses on supporting children’s development through this vital period – ensuring they are physically healthy, cognitively stimulated, emotionally resilient and socially competent.
ECCD programmes also strengthen children’s protective environment by supporting parents, caregivers and pregnant women, as well as looking at wider contexts, such as government policies and societal attitudes.
Pre-school boosts performance
Thousands of young children across the world benefit from Plan's support to pre-school education. Nobel Prize winning economist James Heckman has found greater rates of return for pre-school education than for primary and secondary education.
In Uganda, primary school authorities have reported that children who enrol for the first class at primary-level after having attended a Plan ECCD programme perform better academically, socially and emotionally than their classmates.
Nutrition and health: Saving lives
Research shows that children who receive nutrition and health support WITH early stimulation and learning recover faster from malnutrition, and suffer less overall cognitive and developmental damage.
As part of Plan’s emergency response to the Sahel food crisis, early stimulation and learning has been paired with nutrition and health in programmes that target young children and their mothers in Niger and Burkina Faso.