Why is Early Childhood Development vital for Young Refugee Children?

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Children on the Edge has been investing in early years education for marginalised children in different areas of the world since 2000 [ii].

​The UN 2019 Global Education Monitoring report states that best practices for refugee children under the age of five should focus on families and caregivers, which is exactly what we do. 

​Communities are supported to offer their children quality early learning opportunities, through a child friendly and play focused curriculum in a safe and loving environment

"Providing a solid start in life for every child is increasingly urgent in a fractured world where many millions of children spend their formative early years in emergency settings”.
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​(Anthony Lake [i])

“The early moments of life offer an unparalleled opportunity to build the brains of the children who will build the future… For children from disadvantaged communities, the price of this failure is lost potential’. 
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(UNICEF - Early Moments Matter)

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So why is ECD so important?

• 90% of brain development happens in the first five years of a child’s life.
• Children who benefit from ECD perform better at every subsequent level of education.
• Children are twice as likely to be on track in early literacy and numeracy skills than children missing out on ECD.
• ECD investments have been proven to be not only effective, but cost-effective
• It is essential for children who have experienced trauma as the damaging effects of conflict and crisis are particularly acute in the first years of a child’s life.
• Refugee access to ECD care remains significantly limited. Responsive care at this age protects and buffers children from the negative effects of what they have been through. ​

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1. Pre-school years are essential for a child’s development

The impact of development in the early years of childhood is widely acknowledged across academic fields, and is vital to the formation of a child's intelligence, personality and social behaviour.

​The time from conception to the start of school is a critical and unique window of opportunity to shape the development of a child’s brain in a positive way[iii]. Linda Richter states that “Children with a shaky early foundation find each developmental step harder. The differences between children who have a strong start and those who do not are established early, widen quickly and become harder to bridge as time progresses.”[iv]
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2.  They are even more critical for refugee or displaced children

​John Littleton, Asia Regional Manager for Children on the Edge describes how crucial a child-friendly approach is for young displaced children, saying “The effects of neglect in these formative years can be cumulative and lasting. Young children who experience extreme stress are at greater risk of developing cognitive, behavioural or emotional difficulties”.

Globally, over one-sixth of forcibly displaced are children under age 5, for whom the lack of adequate interventions and protective relationships can lead to long-term mental health, social and economic problems [v].

A lack of intervention for children at this young age is likely to result in negative consequences for the global community. There is evidence that young people from refugee communities face psychological distress, low performance in school, and issues with social and cultural integration [vii].

These kinds of consequences can be tempered or prevented with Early Childhood Development (ECD) input [viii], and as these interventions have been proven to be not only effective, but cost-effective [ix],  returns can be on average 4 to 5 times the amount invested.

​They are a solid investment for the future of our children as individuals, and our society at large, as when they reach adulthood they have higher employment and income levels, better health, and lower levels of welfare dependence and crime rates than those who don’t have ECD input.

Early childhood provision also acts as an effective protection mechanism. Centres ensure not just protection from bodily harm, but the protection of developing brains and personalities. Loving, caring and child friendly environments create a protective buffer enabling children in conflict to thrive.

3.   There is a lack of ECD provision for refugee and displaced children

Whilst many NGOs provide primary education, in each situation where Children on the Edge supports ECD work there is a either a total lack of provision, or services are patchy and inadequate. The GEM report states that the early learning needs of forcibly displaced young children are largely unmet in many displacement settings.
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Despite children under age 5 making up an estimated 16% of displaced populations, there is a distinct lack of early years provision in both national and humanitarian programming [vi]. Their study of 26 humanitarian and refugee response plans shows little commitment to early childhood development [x].

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Find out more about our early childhood development work in: 
- Kachin State - Myanmar
- Jinja - Uganda
- Kyaka II refugee camp - Uganda

‘The youngest refugee children require special attention, but they are commonly forgotten.
​They are invisible to those responsible for protecting them’. (UNHCR)

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[i]Lake, Anthony (2016) ‘Applying the Science: How what we are learning about brain development should shape policies, practical action, and public advocacy,’ in Early Childhood Matters: Advances in early childhood development, Bernhard van Leer Foundation, no. 125, The Hague,, p. 13
[ii] 2000 - Development of strong ECD component in East Timor Child Friendly Space, 2002 - Early years special educational needs programme in Romania, 2007- Nurseries in Ei Htu Htu camp displacement camp, Myanmar, 2013 - ECD for displaced Kachin children, Myanmar, 2016 - ECD Centres, Jinja Uganda, 2019 - ECD development in Kyaka II refugee camp, Uganda.
[iii] UNICEF (2017) ‘Early Moments Matter for Every Child’- 3 United Nations Plaza, New York
[iv] Linda M. Richter, Distinguished Research Fellow at the Human Sciences Research Council, University of Witwatersrand in South Africa (UNICEF Early Moments Matter)
[v] UNESCO (2018) ‘Global Education Monitoring Report 2019: Migration, Displacement and Education – Building Bridges, not Walls’. Paris, UNESCO.
[vi]Ibid
[vii] Selcuk Sirin, S & Rogers-Sirin, L., (2015) ‘The Educational and Mental Health Needs of Syrian Refugee Children’, Migration Policy Institute.
[viii] Pacione, L, Measham, T & Rousseau, C, (2013) ‘Refugee Children: Mental Health and Effective Interventions’, Current Psychiatry Reports, 15: 341-344.
[ix] UNICEF (2017) ‘Early Moments Matter for Every Child’- 3 United Nations Plaza, New York
On average, the plans included one in six of the recommended elements of an early learning component. Nearly half made no mention of learning or education for children under 5, and less than one-third specifically mentioned pre-primary education or ECEC.