State of the World's Children, The: Early Childhood

What happens during the very earliest years of a child's life, from birth to age 3, influences how the rest of childhood and adolescence unfolds. Yet, this critical time is usually neglected in the policies, programmes and budgets of countries. Drawing from reports the world over, The State of the World's Children 2001 details the daily lives of parents and other caregivers who are striving - in the face of war, poverty and the HIV/AIDS epidemic - to protect the rights and meet the needs of these young children. Country profiles, maps and statistical data for 193 countries are also presented. Although the experiences from birth to age three influence how the rest of childhood unfolds, this critical time is usually neglected in the policies, programs, and budgets of countries around the world. This report details the daily lives of parents and other caregivers who are striving to protect the rights and meet the needs of young children. Section 1 of the report makes the case for investing in the earliest years of childhood, when brain development is most malleable and rights are most vulnerable. This section examines the options governments have concerning where and when to make investments and argues for the importance of early childhood development programs for children, their parents and caregivers, and for national progress. This section further argues that early childcare can be an effective antidote to cycles of violence, conflict, poverty, and HIV/AIDS. The section concludes with descriptions of experiments and experiences in developed and developing nations with informal support networks and community agencies with innovative childcare programs. Section 2 presents three maps illustrating quality of life indicators for early childhood, the link between women's status and children's well-being, and the challenges to children's growth and development. Section 3 presents the latest data on children's well-being for 193 countries listed alphabetically, along with regional summaries and world totals. Countries are first ranked in descending order of estimated 1999 under-five mortality rate, which is then included in each of the following tables: basic indicators, nutrition, health, education, demographic indicators, economic indicators, women, and rate of progress. (Contains 65 reference notes.) (KB) What happens during the very earliest years of a child's life, from birth to age 3, influences how the rest of childhood and adolescence unfolds. Yet, this critical time is usually neglected in the policies, programmes and budgets of countries. Drawing on reports from the world over, The State of the World's Children 2001 details the daily lives of parents and other caregivers who are striving - in the face of war, poverty and the HIV/AIDS epidemic - to protect the rights and meet the needs of these young children Drawing on reports from the world over, this details the lives of parents and daily caregivers who are striving, in the face of war and poverty, to protect the rights and meet the needs of young children from birth to the age of 3