It sets out the options governments have about where and when to make investments to ensure that children under three have their rights protected and their needs met. And it introduces the importance of early childhood development programmes, not only for children, their parents and caregivers, but for the progress of nations as a whole.
Parents struggle, often against great odds, to do right by their children.
In industrialized and developing countries alike they find advice and aid from informal support networks and community agencies with innovative childcare programmes. The final section describes these experiments and experiences and makes the case why, in the long run, investment in ECD pays off. But choosing not to provide the earliest care for all children is the costliest mistake of all. ECD Boxes 1. Successful programmes 3.