ECD LEAD

Healthy development in the early years of life can set the course for lifelong health, behavior, and learning. What can be done to ensure that children have a strong start early in life? The evolving science of early childhood development (ECD) provides powerful insights about how conditions and experiences get inside the body—for better or worse—and what we can do to ensure all children have a strong start in life. Equipped with that science, public leaders can support, incentivize, and strengthen equitable policy, practice, and funding approaches focused on improving outcomes for children and families facing adversity. 

To that end, the Center on the Developing Child, with support from the LEGO Foundation and in collaboration with five organizations in three countries in Latin America—United Way Colombia and Universidad de los Andes – Facultad de Educación (Colombia); Pacto por la Primera Infancia (Mexico); and Dinámica, Centro de Desarrollo Profesional and Universidad del Pacifico (Peru)—designed ECD Learning and Engagement to Advance Development (LEAD). 

ECD LEAD is a 10-week, remote learning experience for policymakers and public leaders geared toward strengthening a network of champions for ECD who have the knowledge, skills, and desire to apply scientific insights to advance their local ECD agenda. In the ECD LEAD program, we are committed to providing a learning experience that includes scientific presentations and interactive case scenarios that are accurate, culturally relevant, and respectful. 

Our goal is to increase policymakers’ and public leaders’ understanding of ECD science and their ability and desire to apply it to their work. In doing so, we envision that these leaders will use their understanding of science to enact policy change and program initiatives focused on improving impact at scale for kids and families facing adversity. Our goals for ECD LEAD reflect our Center-wide commitment to preventing the lifelong consequences of structural inequities, systemic racism, and other threats to human well-being—consequences that begin to take root in the early childhood years—and our recognition of the need to create policy solutions to address the source of these inequities. 

ECD LEAD ran in the springs of 2022-2024 and consisted of weekly content sessions with presentations by Harvard faculty and regional experts in the field; facilitated team working sessions to support teams in applying this learning to their teams’ initiative; and provided opportunities to connect and engage in shared learning through an online platform. Teams working together on a particular ECD program or policy initiative were invited to attend—25 total teams, representing 165 individuals, across three years. All developed action plans that reflected an understanding of the science of ECD, as well as the unique contexts, sectors, and levels of government the teams represented. 

The Center is in conversation with Latin American partners about the sustainability of the program following its three-year pilot.