TY - JOUR
T1 - Global tracking of access and quality in early childhood care and education
AU - the UKRI GCRF Harnessing the power of global data to support young children’s learning and development research group
AU - Raikes, Abbie
AU - Rao, Nirmala
AU - Yoshikawa, Hirokazu
AU - Cohrssen, Caroline
AU - Behrman, Jere
AU - Cappa, Claudia
AU - Devercelli, Amanda
AU - Lopez Boo, Florencia
AU - McCoy, Dana
AU - Richter, Linda
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, The Author(s).
PY - 2023/12
Y1 - 2023/12
N2 - Investments in early childhood care and education (ECCE) have contributed to a growing demand for internationally comparable data. Yet data on access to quality ECCE are not routinely collected in many countries, leading to limited information on equitable access to ECCE, quality of provision, and the impact on learning and wellbeing outcomes. This paper outlines the current status of global measurement of access to quality ECCE and identifies issues with definitions, availability, and accuracy of ECCE data across countries and outlines paths forward. We argue that estimates of access to ECCE should be based on children’s participation in quality ECCE across multiple program types, rather than enrollment or attendance alone, given the critical importance of dosage and participation for ensuring positive benefits from ECCE. Governments, international organizations, and researchers all have roles to play in setting standards to define and monitor ECCE, generating workable tools for measuring nationally, and globally investing in national monitoring systems and routine household surveys to obtain accurate estimates of access to quality ECCE.
AB - Investments in early childhood care and education (ECCE) have contributed to a growing demand for internationally comparable data. Yet data on access to quality ECCE are not routinely collected in many countries, leading to limited information on equitable access to ECCE, quality of provision, and the impact on learning and wellbeing outcomes. This paper outlines the current status of global measurement of access to quality ECCE and identifies issues with definitions, availability, and accuracy of ECCE data across countries and outlines paths forward. We argue that estimates of access to ECCE should be based on children’s participation in quality ECCE across multiple program types, rather than enrollment or attendance alone, given the critical importance of dosage and participation for ensuring positive benefits from ECCE. Governments, international organizations, and researchers all have roles to play in setting standards to define and monitor ECCE, generating workable tools for measuring nationally, and globally investing in national monitoring systems and routine household surveys to obtain accurate estimates of access to quality ECCE.
KW - Definition
KW - Early childhood care and education
KW - National-level monitoring and measurement
KW - Preprimary education
KW - SDG Target 4.2
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U2 - 10.1186/s40723-023-00116-5
DO - 10.1186/s40723-023-00116-5
M3 - Review article
C2 - 37153856
AN - SCOPUS:85159625292
SN - 1976-5681
VL - 17
JO - International Journal of Child Care and Education Policy
JF - International Journal of Child Care and Education Policy
IS - 1
M1 - 14
ER -