All children deserve the best start in life. Without commitment to human development, there can be no sustainable development.
Investing in young children is critical for communities to flourish and nations to prosper. This calls for political will, public demand, adequate funding, and the active engagement of families, communities, business and government.
Children’s ability to survive and thrive depends on the well-being and competence of those who care for them. Holistic frameworks for the period of development from prenatal to 8 years of age require public-private coordination on poverty reduction, maternal and child health, education, social protection, gender equality, workforce policies, water, sanitation, energy and housing.
We, the participants at Salzburg Global’s strategy session on Designing a Social Compact for the 21st Century: Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE)(April 15-18, 2015), therefore urge the international community to address the needs of young children and families across the upcoming Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and commit to coordinated planning between sectors and adequate financing.
Building on the health and nutrition goals, we call for adoption of the proposed Learning Goal target: “By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education.”