There is a growing recognition that nurturing, protecting, promoting and supporting children in their early years is essential for the transformation that the world seeks to achieve guided by the Sustainable Development Goals. The Lancet series Advancing early childhood development: from science to scale (2016) highlighted the importance of nurturing care in the first 1,000 days – from conception to age two – as the foundation for child development. The series emphasized that ‘nurturing care’ – an indivisible cluster of interventions related to health, nutrition, responsive caregiving, safety and security, and early learning – is the foundation for child development. The way mothers, fathers and other caregivers nurture and support children in the first 1000 days is among the most decisive factors for healthy child development, with lifelong and intergenerational benefits for health, productivity and social cohesion. (WHO.int 2017)
Through mutually accountable partnerships between relevant sectors – health, nutrition, social protection, child protection, education, and environmental health – the Nurturing Care Framework kindles common action and promotes common results through country leadership. The presentation will focus on a roadmap for scaling-up programmes for children.
13:30 Opening Remarks and Introductions
13:35 Pia Britto Presentation on Nurturing Care
1. Nurturing Care Framework: health, nutrition, safe and security, responsive caregiving, early learning.
2. Early Childhood Development (ECD) in emergency – programmes and work with the community.
3. New Area of emerging evidence – social cohesion and peacebuilding.
14:05 Q&A
14:25 Closing Remarks and Announcements
14:30 END
Meet The Expert:
Dr. Pia Britto - UNICEF Chief and Senior Advisor, Early Childhood Development
Dr. Pia Britto joined UNICEF in 2014 as Chief of Early Childhood Development, bringing with her many years of expertise in early childhood policy and programmes. Prior to joining UNICEF she was an Assistant Professor at Yale University and is internationally renowned for her work on developing, implementing and evaluating early childhood programmes and policies around the world. This includes providing evidence for the role of governance and finance in national systems in achieving equity; developing models for quality early childhood services; promoting women’s economic empowerment, and the role of parents and caregivers. Dr. Britto has been the recipient of various awards and grants; has published articles, books and reports; and made numerous presentations at both academic and non-academic conferences and seminars. She obtained her doctoral degree in Developmental Psychology from Columbia University.
