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Introduction and Overview1
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) for 2015–2030 strive for a world that is “just, equitable, and inclusive,” in which everyone receives care, education, and opportunities to thrive (UN General Assembly, 2015). Yet many children are living on the margins of society, face multiple disadvantages, and are excluded from full participation in all that life has to offer. To examine the science, economics, and politics of investing in the health, education, nutrition, and social protection of children at the margins, the Forum on Investing in Young Children Globally (iYCG Forum) held a workshop in Prague, Czech Republic, on November 3–4, 2015, titled, “Reaching and Investing in Children at the Margins.” Held in partnership with the Open Society Foundations and the International Step by Step Association (ISSA), the workshop convened a diverse group of stakeholders from around the world for 2 days of discussion. Individual workshop participants sought to
- bring to the foreground a scientific perspective of children at the margins, and
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1 The planning committee’s role was limited to planning the workshop. The workshop summary has been prepared by the rapporteur (with the assistance of Kimber Bogard and Carrie Vergel de Dios) as a factual account of what occurred at the workshop. Statements, recommendations, and opinions expressed are those of individual presenters and participants and are not necessarily endorsed or verified by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. They should not be construed as reflecting any group consensus.
- explore how discrimination and social exclusion affect early development, focusing on vulnerable populations such as children living outside of family care; children from diverse ethnic and linguistic backgrounds such as Roma; children with developmental delays and disabilities; and refugee, immigrant, and migrant children.
Box 1-1 provides the full statement of task for the workshop. In providing an overview of the iYCG Forum, Zulfiqar Bhutta stated that the global agenda has shifted from saving lives and ensuring basic rights for individuals to focusing on sustainability, holistic human development, and the numerous factors affecting health and well-being. Ann Masten2 added three additional global trends: (1) a shift from focusing on survival to healthy development and thriving; (2) a growing body of science surrounding healthy child development and well-being; and (3) a convergence of goals among multiple stakeholders that necessitates coordination and integration at the highest levels. Masten stated that these trends align with the forum’s vision of ensuring decision makers around the world use the best available evidence to optimize the well-being of children and their lifelong potential. A full overview of the forum is presented in Box 1-2.
In her opening remarks, Nives Milinovic3 stated that for the first time, early childhood is on the global agenda. The UN SDG targets for quality standards, equity, gender parity, nutrition, health, and a qualified workforce provide clear guidance for how much countries still need to achieve for children and families since the expiration of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), she said. Milinovic highlighted the conflict in Syria, which has resulted in the global movement of more than 4 million people fleeing violence and persecution since 2011—an unprecedented amount—as an example of where more can be done. She remarked that along the “refugee road” in Europe—one of the richest regions in the world—children fleeing persecution in Syria are “hungry, sick, sleeping on the frozen ground, and face an uncertain future.” In responding to this crisis, she underscored the need for the global community to bridge research, policy, financing, and practice, emphasizing that while investing in people is sometimes the hardest and longest investment, it is also the most necessary. She closed with the motto of ISSA’s Romani Early Years Network, “No more lost generations.”
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2 Ann Masten is the Distinguished McKnight University Professor, Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota.
3 Nives Milinovic is president of the ISSA board.
WORKSHOP OVERVIEW
Sarah Klaus4 stated that this workshop in Prague provided an opportunity for the iYCG Forum to focus on what the science and experience reveal about investing in children at the margins, with the hope of generating guidance on developing and implementing better policies and services. The workshop was grounded in child rights and explored the effects marginalization has on various groups around the world, including children living outside of family care; children from diverse ethnic and linguistic backgrounds such as Roma; children with developmental delays and disabilities; and refugee, immigrant, and migrant children. Presenters also explored the use of measurement to support early childhood development.
ORGANIZATION OF THE WORKSHOP SUMMARY REPORT
Following this introduction and overview, Chapter 2 provides an introduction to young children’s rights and highlights the intersection of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UN CRC) and the UN
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4 Sarah Klaus is director of the Open Society Foundations’ Early Childhood Program.
SDGs. Chapter 3 explores how institutionalization and living outside of family care affects early child development. Chapter 4 discusses how discrimination and social exclusion affect young Romani children. Chapter 5 provides practitioner and policy perspectives on including children with developmental delays and disabilities in research and policy agendas around the world. Using the conflict in Syria as a backdrop, Chapter 6 includes presentations of refugee, immigrant, and migrant children. Chapter 7 examines efforts to combine the science of child development with quality measurement to support early childhood programs and policies. The chapter compares four assessment and monitoring tools across health, education, nutrition, and social protection. Appendix A contains a list of abbreviations and acronyms; Appendix B provides the workshop agenda; and Appendix C lists biographical sketches of the workshop speakers.