The Challenge
Early childhood learning programs have a significant impact on future education and health outcomes. Besides long-standing neuroscience research that synapse development peaks during early childhood, recent research confirms that future economic returns to education are never higher than they are in infancy and pre-school age. Despite that, adoption or take-up of early childhood education opportunities in low- and middle- income countries remains strikingly low.
The Opportunity
Armed with a growing body of data on the economic and social returns to early childhood education, global philanthropic foundations and other donor organizations are seeking the most effective ways to discover, invest in, and scale up or cross-pollinate successful early childhood learning models.
Our Work
R4D supported the Bernard van Leer Foundation to better understand the landscape for launching an East Africa early learning challenge to stimulate new investments for young children. The project provided an assessment of the potential pipeline in Kenya and Tanzania, and drew on lessons from other strategies and initiatives to spur investment. Through consulting with stakeholders, other funders, and funding schemes, R4D refined the challenge concept and developed a detailed implementation plan with funding requirements. This work built on earlier work on a possible Global Fund for Young Children carried out for the World Bank and the van Leer Fund.
