Early childhood development and the future of Latin America

The early childhood development agenda just received a major boost in Latin America. With the First Latin American Forum on Early Childhood Development. This took place in Bogotá, Colombia in November last year.

The crowning achievement of the Forum was the signing of a Policy Declaration by high-level government representatives from 11 countries, the three major development banks operating in the region (CAF – Development Bank of Latin America, Inter-American Development Bank and World Bank), UNICEF and representatives from civil society organisations and networks. President Juan Manuel Santos presided over the signing ceremony and provided an enthusiastic endorsement of the initiative.

The declaration stems from the recognition that, in spite of the progress made over recent years, the region faces a major gap in ensuring that all children have the opportunities to grow in a healthy and nurturing environment and develop to their full potential. To address that gap, the declaration makes four recommendations.

To read the full article from the Bernand van Leer Foundation click here.