Early Childhood Care &

Development
(ECCD) in Emergencies
Disaster Risk Reduction Training
For Capiz

Ngaa importante ang

ECCD?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.

Maka bulig sa gobyerno

Maka bulig sa kabataan
Maka bulig sa ginikanan
Maka bulig sa barangay
Ang tanan nga yara sa ibabaw

EiE Learning

Sin-o ang naga bulig

patigayon sang program sa
ECCD?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.

Kapitan kag Barangay Council

Mga Bata
Day Care Worker
Maestra
Ginikanan

EiE Learning

ECCD in Emergencies
Tama o Mali
Ang ECCD sa konteksto sa regular program
lain sa konteksto sang ECCD sa
emergencies

EiE Learning

What is ECCD?
ECCD programs ensure that young
children fulfill their right to development
and education and reach their full
potential.
-- Save the Children, 2010
Early Childhood Care
& Development

Early Childhood Development

ECC
D

ECD

ECCE

Early Childhood Care

& Education

ECE

Early Childhood Education

EiE Learning

ECCD in Emergencies
What is ECCD in emergencies?
ECCD in emergencies provides immediate, life-saving, multisectoral support for children from conception to eight years.
It ensures children receive the basics: nutritious food, health
care, shelter, and psychosocial support in a safe and nurturing
environment.
It also protects childrens normal development and helps
them reach their potential through continued early stimulation
and learning.
ECCD in emergencies can last from 3 months to more than
1 year. It is based on a child development framework that aims
Plan International. (2013). Early childhood care and development in emergencies: A programme guide. London, UK:
to address childrens multiple
needs.
Plan Limited.
EiE Learning

ECCD in Emergencies
Dollo Ado, Ethiopia Dec. 2011
Ingrid Lund, STC

Why is ECCD important in emergencies?

Emergencies have a major impact on children both in the

short term and on their long-term development. ECCD can help
by:
~ meeting specific developmental needs to boost childrens
resilience
and help them return to normal life
~ ensuring healthy physical and cognitive development
~ helping prepare children to attend and excel in school
~ developing survival skills and strengthening adaptive
capacity in case of future emergencies
~ helping young children to realize their rights to survival,
Plan International. (2013). Early childhood care and development in emergencies: A programme guide. London, UK:
growth,
Plan Limited.
development, participation and protectionEiE Learning

ECCD in Emergencies
Framework

Plan International. (2013). Early childhood care and development in emergencies: A programme guide. London, UK:
Plan Limited.

EiE Learning

Climate Change Impacts

Wetter Rainy Seasons

Leading to Floods

Dryer Dry Seasons

Leading to Droughts

With impacts on the quantity, quality

and accessibility of water for households

Natural Disasters
Frequency and intensity
of disasters will increase
throughout the world as
higher temp lead to
higher rates of
evaporation and higher
concentrations of water
vapor in the air
Coastal areas,
especially heavily
populated mega-delta
regions, at greatest risk
due to increased
flooding from sea and
rivers.
Flooding and landslides pose the most widespread direct risk to
human settlements from climate change
Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, nuclear meltdown

So what can we do?

We cant stop disasters but
we can PREPARE to
minimize consequences
(risk reduction)
respond to disasters

Challenges and Opportunities

Challenge:
ECD/Education is often neglected during emergencies
Not considered life-saving
Last to be addressed
Education is all about saving and restoring life

So what do you think you must do?

Convince the LGU that ECCD service need to be

resumed right after disaster strikes to bring
back normalcy and structure to the lives of the
children.

How majority of children react

to crisis
3 to 5% require specialized
intervention

20 to 25% of the children

are vulnerable

70% of the children are

resilient

What to do?
Resume early learning, through day care
services or Supervised Neighborhood Play
(SNP)
provide normal developmental activities,
schooling, sports, recreation activities, etc.
With education, family and community
support, most children will recover and thrive
if given the opportunity to go to school, play,
and interact with peers.
This is the reason why structured, meaningful
activities for children are so important during
and immediately after a crisis situation.

What to do?
Children
should
be
provided
with
the
developmental activities:
Extra attention may be needed.
> For example: additional supportive
conversation, group discussions, expressive art
activities, help with a difficult situation at home,
or other support.
>Close observation may help identify the
children that require extra attention (i.e., those
who are withdrawn, those who are overly
aggressive, those no longer functioning in the
classroom as they did previously.)

What to do?
Day Care Workers, teachers and other adults
need to know how to recognize these most
vulnerable (least resilient) children, and refer
them for special help (i.e., medical doctors,
traditional healers, mental health professionals,
or other appropriate service providers.)
These children should be included in all of the
structured, normalizing activities and education
opportunities organized for the other children
as much as possible.

What to do?
What is important for children to know?
Not only as a result of the emergency but also for
their whole lives.

Should equip learners with:

Survival skills, to safely and productively
participate in communities
Individual and social developmental skills, to
develop resilience, competence and a sense
of belonging
Learning skills, to develop pre-literacy and
numeracy skills

Why ECCD in Emergencies?

Early childhood education is not only a
fundamental human right included within
numerous international human rights treaties
and commitments, but in times of crisis it
can also be life saving and life sustaining.
It can provide cognitive, psychosocial and
physical protection that will often not only
benefit the children themselves, but also
their parents, caregivers and the wider
community

Why ECCD in Emergencies?

Early childhood education in emergencies provides
physical protection through the creation of safe
learning spaces free from natural disaster-related
dangers.
Safe learning spaces can also provide physical
protection as centers for the provision of other
essential services, such as nutrition and basic health
care, and screening services for those who need
special assistance. Young children in crisis situations
often need new knowledge and skills in order to
survive and thrive in changed circumstances

Why ECCD in Emergencies?

Early childhood education provides cognitive

protection through the provision of relevant
educational content, which meets the needs of
children
and
imparts
developmentally
appropriate health and safety messages.

Early childhood education programs can play a

role in disaster risk reduction and
preparedness, teaching young children how
to protect themselves in the event of a natural
hazard, such as typhoons, landslides and
earthquakes.

Why ECCD in Emergencies?

Early
childhood
education
can
provide
psychosocial protection through the creation
of a safe and stable environment where
children can interact freely with each other,
play, and be supported by their peers and
trustworthy adults.
Formal or non-formal learning environments for
young children can help to re-establish a
feeling of normalcy and stability and can
be a critical step on the road to recovery after
crisis.
Programs that support caregivers in providing
care, stimulation and learning activities for
children at home can provide psychosocial
benefits for adults, creating a sense of
accomplishment and hope for these adults
and the larger community

My reflection
on what I
learned in
ECCD in
Emergencies