Early Childhood Development Action Network (ECDAN) reposted this
Excited to share this new Center for Global Development blog and policy paper examining #childcare expenditures in 4 #subsaharanafrica countries with my co-authors Kehinde Ajayi and Astha M.. In addition the the findings Kehinde mentions below, a few high-level reflections: 1) There are significant data gaps and challenges in determining spending on childcare, particularly for children under 3. Improving data should be an immediate priority. 2) For spending data that is available in these countries (pre-primary education, which is typically for kids 3-6 years old), spending still falls far short of international targets. The exception is where multilateral aid (eg the World Bank’s Invest in Childcare initiative) has been injected, so it is important that this funding lead to sustainable change. 3) ECD policies are becoming more common, but they often neglect the youngest children and their caregivers. More effort and better coordination should be made to make sure childcare-related policies are gender-transformative and don’t leave these populations behind. 4) It may be a challenge for LMIC countries to increase national spending on childcare, but if childcare policy gaps are closed, ILO data shows that significant economic and social benefits can be achieved. Check out the new paper for more specifics on Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Rwanda, and Senegal and some policy recommendations for the future!
New Center for Global Development blog post and policy paper with Kelsey Harris and Astha M. examine #childcare and #earlychildhooddevelopment expenditures in four African countries—#Côte_d’Ivoire, #Kenya, #Rwanda, and #Senegal —highlighting critical gaps in public investment and policies. Key findings: 1) Less than 0.2 percent of GDP is spent nationally on pre-primary education (far below the global goal of 1 percent) 2) Only 2 percent or less of national education expenditure is allocated to pre-primary education (well below the global target of 10 percent) 3) Less than 2 percent of foreign aid to education is directed to early childhood education, with the recent exception of Côte d'Ivoire (compared to the global target of 10 percent) The paper identifies key policies shaping public expenditures and explores the potential economic and social benefits of increasing childcare investments in these countries over time. It concludes with policy recommendations to enhance the transparency and accessibility of expenditure data, prioritize early childhood in public funding, and leverage international aid and policy frameworks to optimize childcare services in Africa. By doing so, these efforts can better facilitate gender equality, women’s economic empowerment, and economic development. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/e5_GH-9Y
