Aprendizaje Temprano, Ganancia Futura

Presentación del tema: "Aprendizaje Temprano, Ganancia Futura"— Transcripción de la presentación:

1 Aprendizaje Temprano, Ganancia Futura
Mary Eming Young Human Development Network - World Bank Bogota, Colombia February 2003 I am honored to be here today, to join you, all the practitioners and caregivers who have made Colombia’s Community Child Care (Hogares Comunitarios), a world-renowned, innovative example of what families and communities – together with government – can do to improve life’s chances for young children. The importance of ECD has been noted by economists, behavioral scientists, educators, and neuroscientists. Dr. Fraser Mustard has given the scientific evidence for why the early years are so critical.. Ensuring a fair start in life is a daunting challenge in Latin America, as in many parts of the world. There is a sheer increase in the number of children in poverty. Here in Colombia, about 60 percent of the population lives in poverty. More than 50 percent of the poor lives in urban areas. Seven out 10 preschool-age urban children live in poverty. One out of five children in the poorest income tier has severe malnutrition. Approximately one-half of all children in Colombia have not been vaccinated. Poverty is like a bad gene — it is inherited. Children who live in poverty face multiple obstacles. Many of the children have not completed primary education. Many suffer from malnutrition, disease, abuse, and neglect — which begin during the critical period from conception through early childhood and which impair their ability and capacity to learn.

2 Aprendizaje temprano, ganancia futura
El desarrollo infantil temprano marca la diferencia Seis ingredientes de programas exitoso Esfuerzo politico sostenido para apoyar y expandir programas eficaces I would like to make three points today. First, ECD makes a difference. Second, we know what the ingredients of successful programs are. And, third, sustained, political efforts are needed to support and extend effective programs targeted to reach all children and especially those at risk. My comments will suggest possible options for enhancing Colombia’s community ECD program at this stage as the government considers and articulates a comprehensive social protection agenda.

3 Costo-Beneficio de los Programas DIT – Beneficios para la sociedad
ECD Makes a Difference Benefit cost analysis on the Abecedarian Project shows that for every dollar spent on ECD, taxpayers can expect four dollars in benefits. Children who participated have greater academic success, higher earnings for both participants and their mothers. The Perry Preschool evaluation showed a benefit cost ratio of 7:1 The Chicago Child Parent program has similar B:C ratio of 7:1 Similarly a recent evaluation of the U.S. Head Start shows long term benefits such as higher schooling and earnings and lower crime rates. Young sibs benefit from older brother or sister who participated in the program.

4 Hijos de Padres con 4 años de Educación
más de educación  7 %  5.0% =  2.0% 1 Año de preescolar An analysis conducted in Brazil supports many other international studies—children who attended preschool had higher education achievement, reduced grade repetition, and higher earnings. Next slide…………. Ingresos

5 Hijos de Padres Analfabetos
0.6 años más de educación  6.5%  12.5% =  6.0% 1 año de preescolar Importantly, the gains of preschool education for children of illiterate parents appear to be higher than for children of educated parents. Overall the calculations for Brasil yields a 2:1 benefit-cost ratio. One year of preschool attendance results in a 7-12% increase in future earnings. There are amble examples of large scale programs, including the Colombia’s Community-based Child Care program that show early interventions are effective for altering vulnerable children’s success in school and beyond. The U.S. Head Start program is a well-known example of a nationwide effort to target children in poverty. Another is the Chicago Parent Child Program. This ECD intervention is being conducted in a large city – Chicago – and is linked with local schools and families in the community. The program is a center-based early intervention that provides educational and family support services for children ages 3 to 9 in neighborhood schools. The aim is to get children ready to learn — to give them a foundation for success in school. The parents of preschool or kindergarten children are required to participate. The parents involve themselves in many ways — they may read stories to small groups of children, maintain the bulletin board, finish activities begun by a teacher, or work with children on craft projects. Ingresos

6 DIT Marca la Diferencia
Los niños y sus madres son más productivas Las escuelas ahorran dinero al estar los alumnos mejor preparados cuando ingresan a la primaria (disminución en atención especializadas y retenciones de año) La taza de crimen disminuye Los niños que participan de un programa DIT tienden a gozar de mayores ingresos a lo largo de la vida Y tienden a tener vidas más saludables (menos probabilidades que fumen) The evidence from the Chicago program – as well as other ECD efforts – has led to a national call in the United States to make early education available to all children ages 3 and over.   Among the investments a nation can make, few are better than investing in its youngest citizens and supporting early childhood education. The benefits of investing in young children are many — Children and their mothers are more productive in society. School districts save money because the students are better prepared when they enter school and special education or remedial education is less likely to be needed. Crime rates are lower. Those who have participated in ECD programs earn more throughout their life. And, interestingly, these individuals are less likely to smoke, so they tend to be healthier and live longer.

7 Cuba: Alfabetización y Bajos Ingresos
In comparison with all other countries in Latin America, Cuba has attained a high level of literacy among a population that has very low income levels. Children in Cuba have the highest test scores in all of Latin America for third-grade language and math achievement. How is this possible? The answer is that Cuba has made a significant, and sustained, political commitment to education and to a comprehensive system of education beginning in early childhood. In Cuba, preschool is not compulsory, but it is an initial link and part of a nationwide system of education. Comprehensive programs target children ages 0 to 5, and about 98 percent of these children are enrolled in the programs. Services include both formal day-care centers and non-formal programs. The message is: Educate your child, and enroll 5- to 6-year-old children in preschool preparatory programs.

8 Programas DIT en Cuba: Eslabon Inicial
Instituciones nacionales sólidas Sector Formal Capacidad Local Sector Non Formal Embarazo Guarderias Preescolar Programs para padres (0 años) (0 to 5 años) (5 – 6años) The attention given to children in Cuba begins with pregnancy. In each neighborhood, pregnant women receive a special allocation of milk and staple foods, and parenting programs are available for mothers and families. As soon as children are born and until they enter primary school, they benefit from an array of childcare and ECD services. All of the services involve parents and communities (the non-formal sector) and health and education institutions (the formal sector). Also, the services are intergenerational — for example, a literacy program for parents is linked with development strategies for their children.

9 Seis Ingredientes del Exito
Compromiso político y sostenibilidad financiera Capacidad y compromiso local con DIT – complemento a sólidas instituciones nacionales Una aproximación de “abajo hacia arriba” en vez de “de arriba hacia abajo” Flexibilidad en los programas y en el apoyo Sentido de apropiación local Compromiso y participación de los padres  What Are the Ingredients of Success for ECD Programs? The two examples I’ve given – ECD in Chicago and Cuba – demonstrate most of the common ingredients found in successful ECD programs worldwide. Six ingredients are key. They are: Political will and financial sustainability Local capacity and commitment to ECD – complementing strong national institutions for ECD A “bottom-up,” approach that supports an existing infrastructure Flexibility of programs and support Local ownership of programs, and Involvement and participation of parents.

10 1. Compromiso politico y sostenibilidad financiera
Seis ingredientes… 1. Compromiso politico y sostenibilidad financiera Los programas de DIT deben ser economicamente sostenibles Colombia ICBF  impuesto a la nómina de las empresas No depender enteramente del financiamiento nacional. Trabajo conjunto con las comunidades locales para identificar otras maneras de impulsar y sostener los programas Allow me to say a few words about each of these ingredients. Number 1. To make a difference over the long term, a quality ECD program must be financially sustainable. This requires strong support and political will at the national level. However, local projects should not be allowed to rely completely on national financing, but should be encouraged to find ways locally to maintain, strengthen, and enhance their efforts. Use of earmarked taxes, such as in Colombia, is one way to achieve independence from budget cuts during times of fiscal constraint, but it may be risky because the political constituency (in this case, local businesses) is small. National staff and local communities can work together to identify other effective and innovative ways to achieve sustainable support for ECD.

11 2. Capacidad y Compromiso local
Seis ingredientes… 2. Capacidad y Compromiso local Colombia ICBF  institución nacional dedicada al DIT Crear instituciones locales autogestionables descentralizando la administración a municipalidades y centros Impulsar una base amplia de soporte Number 2. Development of local infrastructure for ECD is essential. As I said in number 1, having strong national institutions does not substitute for local capacity and commitment for ECD. The Colombian Institute for Family Welfare (ICBF) – which administers the Community Child Care program throughout Colombia – is a unique example of a strong national institution with a dedicated bureaucracy focused solely on child development. The challenge for Colombia is to not let this bureaucracy become all consuming in maintaining its staff (and absorbing the bulk of the nation’s ECD resources), but to broaden its constituencies to local communities and local businesses – to foster a broad base of support that will complement and help to sustain Colombia’s national ECD effort for the long term. To some extent, communities are already involved in Colombia — they select their own women to serve as home day-care mothers, and parents serve on local boards that manage the purchases for, and payments to, the day-care mothers. The next step is to create self-managing institutions at the local level by devolving the nationwide program to municipalities and to ECD centers.

12 Seis ingredientes… 3. Una red “de abajo hacia arriba” complementaria a la estructura existente El campo de acción y amplitud de los programas DIT (nutrición, guardería,educación, estimulación temprana) ofrecen un reto Programas DIT involucran muchas y diversas instituciones locales, regionales y nacionales Number 3 – the third ingredient of success. To be effective and sustainable, programs must be bottom-up, not top-down — when (provided that) there is an appropriate infrastructure. ECD offers a particular challenge in this regard because of its breadth and scope. ECD programs – consisting of childcare, nutrition, education, and stimulation – often engage many different local, regional, and national institutions to assure support for their funding, management, and implementation.

13 4. Flexibilidad en los programas y el apoyo
Seis ingredientes… 4. Flexibilidad en los programas y el apoyo Esencial para el diseño de programas DIT locales y culturalmente relevantes Innovaciones Uso de facilidades existente por ejemplo HCB se atiende desde el hogar Number 4. The fourth ingredient – flexibility – is essential for the design and support of ECD programs that are locally and culturally relevant and appropriate. Innovative variations that have the support of local childcare and education networks and that are tailored to local communities should be encouraged. For example, ECD programs do not necessarily need new facilities. There are many examples worldwide of effective – and comparatively inexpensive – informal programs based in the home. Colombia’s day care, for example, is provided in the homes of mothers in the community. The use of these and other available community facilities is a cost-effective approach that is generally applicable and avoids the cost of constructing and maintaining new facilities, which could limit expansion of ECD coverage. Use of existing community facilities is especially appropriate in areas where homes do not have adequate sanitation or adequate space for accommodating groups of children.

14 5. Apropiación local Seis ingredientes…
Obtener fondos y contribuciones de los padres, comunidades, organizaciones locales y regionales Comunidades locales y ONGs responsables de la provision de los servicios Gobierno centrar esfuerzos en definir estándares, capacitar al equipo, evaluar a los proveedores, diseminar la información y fomentar alternativas de DIT Nueva Zelanda model de fondo mixto Number 5. To enhance the likelihood of success and sustainability, ownership of ECD must be fostered locally – among parents and families and within the community. One effective strategy for ECD programs is to obtain matching funds and in-kind contributions – from parents, the community, and local or regional organizations such as foundations and NGOs. When the local community participates in this way, the government can focus specifically on establishing standards, training staff, evaluating providers, and disseminating information (for example, to consumers to help them make informed choices among alternative options). The government also can focus on important financing and regulatory issues and leave the “doing” (that is, the provision of services) to the private and non-governmental sectors in local communities. This refocusing of the government’s role would allow government to consider promoting and funding pilot interventions – thereby fostering development of alternative ECD efforts and continued improvements in ECD quality. The mixed funding model adopted in New Zealand, which consists of block grants and subsidies, may be an effective way for Colombia to foster local ownership of ECD and define a new governmental role in ECD.

15 6. Participación y compromiso de los padres
Seis ingredientes… 6. Participación y compromiso de los padres La participación y compromiso de los padres a todo nivel es crítica: desde la seleción de los servicios, la planeación, implementación y evaluación de los programas DIT Por e.j. en Colombia las madres de los HCB tienen el manejo de los hogares En Nueva Zelanda el gobierno proporciona “fondos semilla” (becas) para cubrir los gastos de matricula y cuotas de los programas DIT que los padres elejian Number 6. The full involvement and participation of parents – at all stages of planning, implementing, and evaluating a program – are critical. Parents must be involved in every aspect of their children’s care and education, from the beginning. And studies show that parents – and entire families – benefit from ECD. Already in Colombia, mothers are involved, managing day care in home-based programs. Colombia could stimulate parents’ broader participation in ECD and enhance the range of ECD services for them. As in New Zealand – again – the government could provide “seed funds” through grants, based on a per-child capitation formula. One use of the seed funds would be to augment the incomes of poor families to cover the fees for ECD services they select. This would help to broaden participation in ECD for children who would benefit most and would foster parents’ involvement from the beginning as they select private or public ECD from a range of options – home-based care, play centers, childcare centers, or kindergarten. Their choices would likely reflect a program’s convenience, proximity, and flexibility of operation. Another use of the seed funds would be to develop and expand ECD services. Funds could be used to support training of ECD professionals (and to help providers (through a credit program) improve their ECD facilities, thereby enabling them to fully meet ECD standards and gain accreditation. Providers would be able to benefit from the public subsidies while participating in a competitive, choice-based system.

16 Sosteniendo y Avanzando el DIT
Concientizar sobre la importancia de los programas DIT Proteger la inversión nacional en los niños durante tiempos de crisis y vaivenes políticos Crear consumidores exigentes Proveer incentivos para atraer a nuevos “actores” Crear nuevos proveedores As practitioners and advocates for young children, we cannot expect support for ECD – at the national and local levels – just because we can demonstrate soundly, with evidence and facts, that ECD makes a difference and that we know how to organize effective, successful interventions. Implementation of comprehensive ECD strategies that can reach all children, even the poorest, depends on instilling in others the political will to support ECD nationally and locally. All advocates of ECD must come together to hone and exercise their political skills in order to sustain and advance the political will for ECD. Sustained efforts are needed in each country to: Raise awareness of the importance of early childhood interventions – and thereby create a political constituency for children. Protect the nation’s investment in children in times of crisis and protect this investment from political “swings” – ensuring that the resources for ECD continue to be there. Colombia offers one of the best examples – a 3 percent payroll tax, which secures financing for ECD even in times of financial adjustment. Provide incentives to bring new “players” into ECD, encouraging the initiatives of small community groups, civil society, and local governments. Create demanding consumers. Government can allow or even encourage private providers of ECD services. To be effective consumers, poor households – as I’ve already noted – will need public subsidies to cover the costs of ECD. Create new providers. Colombia is doing this through its home-based, day-care programs operated by mothers in the community. By providing training and small amounts of assistance, Colombia could enable these mothers to become fully accredited as ECD providers – who would be eligible for other ECD funds.

17 Las intervenciones en DIT pueden nivelar el campo de juego para todos los niños y reconciliar al país con sus objetivos de equidad y eficacia In societies that have high levels of poverty, the “playing field” even at age 6 or when a child enters school may already not be level or fair for poor children. By making ECD available to all children and by intervening early – before age 6 and even at 0 to 3 – national governments and ECD advocates can offer all children the possibility to benefit fully from school and to succeed in the marketplace thereafter. ECD programs can level the playing field for all children, and ECD interventions can help to reconcile a country’s goals of equity and efficiency.    I look forward to learning from you – practitioners and policymakers alike – about your efforts to improve Colombia’s programs that serve young children. Thank you very much.