Towards a policy for early childhood education in Latin America and the Caribbean

This document argues that Latin American and Caribbean governments must develop strategies to improve preschool education and increase attendance. Research conducted in the United States, Latin America, and other countries indicates that quality preschool programs can benefit developing country children in a number of ways -- by controlling nutritional problems, developing cognitive skills, and inculcating a desire to learn. Given the financial constraints under which they labor, Latin American governments should (1) identify sound models of preschool education programs that can be implemented by the private sector (communities, industry, or unions), and (2) stimulate demand for high-quality services, e.g., by educating the public on what constitutes a developmentally sound curriculum. Governments might also develop partnerships with NGOs or communities. Given the great diversity of existing models both of preschool and child care and of organizational and funding mechanisms, it should be possible to identify the most cost-effective options. Failure to do so, according to this paper, would result in leaving the children under the tutelage of the informal system of family members, baby-sitters, and other child care providers that is a root cause of the school failure and poverty widespread in the region.