Resources search

National plans of action for orphans and vulnerable children in sub-Saharan Africa : where are the youngest children?

ENGLE, Patrice
July 2008

Expand view

"There are three reasons for wanting young children to be included in the National Plans of Action. First, as the numbers indicate, there are a substantial number of young children who are orphans and/or vulnerable, but they tend to escape notice. Second, they have specific rights and requirements for care that differ from those of older children...Third, because of the growth potential of young children, the possibilities for effective interventions to prevent long-term negative consequences are greater than at older ages"

Early childhood transitions research : a review of concepts, theory, and practice

VOGLER, Pia
CRIVELLO, Gina
WOODHEAD, Martin
May 2008

Expand view

This review surveys major conceptual tools that shed light on different aspects of early childhood transitions. The objectives are: 1) to review major research perspectives on early childhood transitions; and 2) to identify significant trends (and gaps) in the knowledge base of scholarly as well as professional studies

Where the heart is : meeting the psychosocial needs of young children in the context of HIV/AIDS

RICHTER, Linda
FOSTER, Geoff
SHERR, Lorraine
July 2006

Expand view

[Publisher's abstract]: An output of a series of workshops on psychosocial support held in 2004-2005 by the Bernard van Leer Foundation and the Coalition on Children Affected by AIDS. Authors Linda Richter, Geoff Foster and Lorraine Sherr discuss the issues surrounding psychosocial care and support for children made vulnerable by the HIV/AIDS pandemic and make recommendations for future priorities and programming directions. Includes the "Call To Action" for Toronto 2006

Globalisation and privatisation : the impact on childcare policy and practice

VANDENBROECK, Michel
January 2006

Expand view

This paper explores the impact of globalisation and neo-liberalism policies on child care provision, with a special focus on Belgium. It provides an overview of the historical context, and shows how even in Belgium social democratic welfare state globalisation has stimulated privatisation and decentralisation of services, and forced parents to take direct responsibility for the care of their children. The paper suggests that policy makers need to balance competing demands: government responsibility versus autonomy; standardisation versus diversity; inclusion versus exclusion

A guide to General Comment 7 : implementing child rights in early childhood

UNITED NATIONS COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD
UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN'S FUND
BERNARD VAN LEER FOUNDATION
Eds
2006

Expand view

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child applies to all children under 18 - but its implementation poses particular practical challenges when it comes to young children. This book is a guide to implementing child rights in early childhood. It is based around the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child's General Comment no 7. It contains extracts from the papers submitted to the committee at the time of the Day of General Discussion which preceded the General Comment, and other relevant material

Young children, HIV/AIDS and gender : a summary review

BHANA, Deevia
BRIXEN, Farhana Farook
2006

Expand view

(From forward) Studies point to the existence of a global HIV/AIDS emergency among young people. An estimated 6,000 youths a day become infected, an average of one new infection every 14 seconds. The most socially and economically disadvantaged young people appear to be especially at risk of infection, and young women in developing contexts are at the greatest risk. The rate of HIV infection among girls is rapidly outstripping the rate among boys. Girls already account for nearly 60 percent of the infections in sub-Saharan Africa, where the pandemic is most virulent. This paper adopts the hypothesis that this pandemic can be confronted already in early childhood. During the first eight years of life the foundations are set for the capacities, beliefs and attitudes that support individuals in later life. In early childhood, people can therefore more easily learn and integrate appropriate risk avoidance behaviours that may prove useful in the global war on HIV/AIDS. The earliest years may represent a window of opportunity for the successful implementation of HIV/AIDS reduction and prevention programmes

Children without parental care : qualitative alternatives [whole issue]

December 2005

Expand view

A growing number of children around the world are currently orphaned or otherwise growing up without parents, due to conflicts, natural disasters and HIV and AIDS. This issue of Early Childhood Matters takes a look at the current state of international thinking on the issue of children without parental care. It highlights the need for international guidelines that guarantee the appropriateness of the environment in which children grow up

Can you hear me? The right of young children to participate in decisions affecting them

LANSDOWN, Gerison
May 2005

Expand view

This paper makes the case for children's participation and discusses how it can be put into practice and measured. Participation enhances children's self-esteem and confidence, promotes their overall capacities, produces better outcomes, strengthens understanding of and commitment to democratic processes and protects children more effectively. It is also a matter of social justice and human rights -- all people, however young, are entitled to have their views respected and valued

HIV and young children : an annotated bibliography on psychosocial perspectives

SHERR, Lorraine
February 2005

Expand view

This annotated bibliography offers a practical guide to the content of the references which informed the literature review presented in BVLF Working Paper 33 (Young Children and HIV/AIDS: Mapping the Field). It is intended to help readers who want to go deeper into the issues and explore the original source material. The bibliography presents the references - mostly to peer-reviewed medical or psychology journals - under subject headings such as "disclosure", "interventions", "parentless children", "social development", and more

Young children and HIV/AIDS : mapping the field

SHERR, Lorraine
January 2005

Expand view

This paper offers a concise and comprehensive overview of the literature from a psychological perspective. It explores a range of issues in emotional, psychological, social and physical development, and their relation to broader issues including poverty, nutrition and human rights. It idenifies gaps in knowledge and will help funders, policy makers and practitioners to locate their own work in the bigger picture. It is accompanied by an annotated bibliography

The future will be better : a tracer study of CCF's Early Stimulation Programme in Honduras

DE FIGUEROA, C N
et al
2004

Expand view

When planning development programmes for children living in poor communities with few services, all aspects of their lives need to be addressed. This report illustrates the difference a comprehensive programme can make in the lives of the children, their families and even the community as a whole. By studying two villages, one with the programme and one without, this report shows far-reaching effects in many areas. The children who took part in the programme felt emotionally secure; they were well-behaved and mixed well with their peers of both sexes; their health was better than the children of the control group. But above all, the programme children had internalised values and a sense of self - and they had hopes and dreams for the future

From car park to children's park : a childcare centre in development

WUNSCHEL, Gerda
July 2003

Expand view

This working paper illustrates the "Situationsansatz" pedagogical framework, as implemented at Kita, a childcare centre in Berlin. The emphasis is on children's environments, children's participation and optimal learning. The key principles of the "Contextual Child Development Approach" include: recognising the learning potential of diverse cultural heritages and intercultural interaction, developing close relations with the social environment and adopting an open planning process, with the contribution of children, parents and other adults. Includes an appendix, which briefly outlines the guidelines for working with the Contextual Child Development Approach in childcare centres

To handle life's challenges : a tracer study of Servol's Adolescent Development Programme in Trinidad

GRIFFITH, Jean
February 2002

Expand view

Can a 14-week programme for adolescents have a lasting effect on their lives? This tracer study shows that, 10 years on, 40 Trinidadians in their 20s are doing their best to meet life's challenges. These young people, many from backgrounds of disadvantage and abuse, took part in the Adolescent Development Programme run by SERVOL. The study compares their outcomes with a similar group of people and, while the differences between the groups are small, there are some distinctions. The former trainees themselves believe that the course enhanced their parenting skills and had a positive impact on their lives. The report also shares learning from the project

Challenges of change : a tracer study of San preschool children in Botswana

LE ROUX, Willemien
February 2002

Expand view

This study of the Bokamosa Preschool Programme describes how San children, whose culture is distinct from that of other peoples of Botswana, try to cope with an education system whose values and norms are different to their own. They must also cope with pressure from their parents who mistrust a system that 'steals' their children but feel powerless to make any changes. This book discusses the many factors that influence children as they grow; and shows that if the school system is not congruent with home circumstances, children must make immense efforts to succeed

In the web of cultural transition : a tracer study of children in Embu District, Kenya

NJENGA, Ann
KABIRU, Margaret
November 2001

Expand view

The study compares children who were taught by preschool teachers trained in the two-year course run by District Centres for Early Childhood Education (DICECE) with those who had untrained teachers. The study, carried out in Embu District (Kenya), found significant differences between the two groups of children particularly in terms of performance in primary schools, with children cared for by DICECE-trained teachers faring better, and in relation to absenteeism, repetition and dropout rates

Effectiveness Initiative : first fruits [whole issue]

October 2001

Expand view

Describes the emerging findings from the Effecitveness Initiaitve (EI), an open and flexible dialogue between ten international sites investigating good practices and lessons in early childhood development. Includes description of a variety of tools and strategies that have been used `for listening to different voices' and for finding out information about each of the projects. These include the `river analogy', used to construct a visual history of projects in Peru and Colombia; the farm land `machamba' analogy form Mozambique that helps people to analyse the evolution of community based early childhood development sites; seasonal calenders from the Philippines; meetings and debates from Portugal; different forms of open and unstructured interviews; personal diaries and `family books'; and the analysis of anecdotes and stories in almost all the teams. This issue looks at a range of the projects and a number of issues related to the EI enquiry, such as: looking at how `Atlas-ti' qualitative analysis software has been used to identify common elements of effective programming while retaining links with the original qualitative data - charting both 'thematic affinities' and diverse local expressions of what makes for effectiveness; and how data gathered by the projects is returned to all the people who provided it for challenge and modification in open meetings; also describes the way different kinds of information were collected, compared and `triangulated' to confirm findings. Key findings include: that `credibility', built on trust and respect of local priorities, is vital; also simply creating room for reflection and research by those involved in projects is an important component of making effective programmes; and conducting research in the local language helps to get at issues that are important for participants and staff

The Convention on the Rights of the Child and young children

SMALE, Jim
Ed
2001

Expand view

This edition of Early Childhood Matters provides arguments, examples of work at all levels, and analyses to contribute to the discussions needed to elevate the Convention on the Rights of the Child to its rightful place in early childhood programming as a key strategy in realising the aspirations of the Convention. Built on varied legal systems and cultural traditions, the Convention on the Rights of the Child is a universally agreed set of non-negotiable standards and obligations. There is no dedicated section that addresses the rights of children from birth to eight specifically, but rather encompasses children up to the age of 18. This paper argues that the world's young children demand special attention to reflect their particular needs

Pages

E-bulletin