Early Childhood Policies

We support comprehensive policies for children ages 0 to 6, through initiatives that promote equal learning opportunities and conditions for full development in this age group.

A key phase of human development

Early childhood is the period of life from birth to 6 years of age, a key phase of human development.

The brain develops at a fast pace and experiences during this period leave permanent marks, impacting lifelong learning.

Therefore, the Legal Framework for Early Childhood, the Child and Adolescent Statute and the Federal Constitution ensure that children have the right to all requirements for their full development, such as education, health, quality food and a stimulating and welcoming family environment, among others.

Therefore, public authorities have a duty to ensure effective and comprehensive early childhood policies, which is also strategic. Studies show that investments at this stage provide positive short and long-term results for children and society. Among them, the following draw attention:

Fase-chave do desenvolvimento humano
  • Children reached by early childhood policies programs have better work prospects and higher salaries when they become adults;
  • Such programs reduce public spending by reducing the likelihood of their beneficiaries becoming involved in crimes and using drugs;
  • When considering improvement in health, criminality and income results, early childhood policies provides a return on investment (ROI) as high as 13%.
  • Promoting comprehensive early childhood policies requires cross-sector work, involving, for example, education, health and social assistance; and cross-federative work, drawing on the municipal, state and federal government levels.

At Bracell Foundation, we believe in the importance of comprehensive early childhood programs as transformative levers for Brazilian society, and we support initiatives that seek to improve public policies for this age group.

Notes:

*The information on this page is based on studies such as: Perry Preschool Study; Abecedarian; Head Start Impact Studies; The Effective Pre-school, Primary and Secondary Education Project (EPPSE).

Early childhood education initiatives supported

Check out our projects for Early Childhood Policies.

Projeto - Por uma política nacional integrada de primeira infância

For an integrated national early childhood policy

We support the Early Childhood Working Group of the Council for Sustainable Economic and Social Development (“Conselhão”) in its mission to create an integrated national early childhood policy. Our partner in this initiative is the Todos Pela Educação movement.