EPHA joins Eurochild, the International Step-by-Step Association (ISSA) and the Roma Education Fund for calls to prioritise investment in early childhood services.
The COVID-19 outbreak has revealed the true impact of a decade of austerity that has pared back health and social-care systems to their bare minimum across many parts of Europe. In so doing the crisis has highlighted several truths that have been either forgotten or neglected about the importance of investing in early childhood development.
Access to quality healthcare, affordable medicines, vaccination, adequate nutrition, safe environment, parent and children support services and opportunities for early learning (home-based programmes, formal and informal services), accessible and affordable for all, all contribute to children’s optimal physical and mental development, to ensure our society and communities are built on a solid foundation.
Prioritising investment in early childhood services will contribute to increasing our collective well-being, instead of focusing solely on GDP. We will all be better served by such a reorientation placing children’s and families’ well-being, social responsibility, and cohesion as the first priority. The statement is also open for endorsement below.
