Abstract
Abstract The Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Act of 2000 is the national ECCD policy framework of the Philippines. A basic element of this framework is shared governance. This model exemplifies governance mechanisms at national, provincial, city/municipal and barangay levels to support delivery of integrated ECCD services. A decade of implementing this policy framework provides an excellent starting point and a rich context for looking at the current state of governance of ECCD in the country. The salient features of the ECCD Act and other related policies serve as a backdrop for the discussion of the progress and challenges of ECCD governance. This article concludes with three interrelated policy agenda that would strengthen the country’s governance of early childhood.
Highlights
The Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Act of 2000 is the national ECCD policy framework of the Philippines
This paper presents an overview of the current state of ECCD governance at the national level
Two major laws are cited because of its implications on the status of ECCD governance in the country. These are: (1) The Child and Youth Welfare Code of 1974 which codified the rights and duties of children, the duties and responsibilities of parents, the community and various stakeholders in promoting the welfare of Filipino children and youth (0 to 21) and created the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) as the national coordinating body on children and youth concerns; and (2) The Local Government Code of 1991 that provided for a more accountable local government structure instituted through a system of decentralization and mandated the devolution of basic services to the local government units
Summary
The Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Act of 2000 is the national ECCD policy framework of the Philippines. A basic element of this framework is shared governance. This model exemplifies governance mechanisms at national, provincial, city/municipal and barangay levels to support delivery of integrated ECCD services. ECCD programs and services in the Philippines are not new. Nutrition, early education and psychosocial care, parenting education and other social services for children ages 0 to 6 and their families have been the government’s concerns instituted in its various line departments. What is new and promising is the promulgation of a national ECCD policy framework that provides, among others, the institutional structures at all levels to implement the national ECCD policy.
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