Planning Policies for Early Childhood Development: Guidelines for Action

These guidelines provide a toolkit for planning Early Childhood Development policies or policy frameworks. They demonstrate how government planners and institutions of civil society in the fields of health, nutrition, sanitation, education and legal protection can apply an integrated approach to child survival and early childhood development (ECD). The Guidelines present the five basic phases of the planning process, from structuring for success and methods for holding consultations and consensus building meetings to policy adoption and implementation. They explain how to integrate ECD policy planning with other cross-sectoral and sectoral policies and plans. Above all, the Guidelines help nations prepare ECD policies and annual ECD action plans that address critical gaps in services for vulnerable children and guide the development of comprehensive and culturally appropriate ECD programs.