The Definition Of Integrated Early Childhood Services?

Integration in early childhood development (ECD) should occur at three levels: individual, service, and inter-institutional. Each level should have specific responsibilities to holistically address the child and family, with consistent goals, planning, responsibilities, joint services, communication, and policy. Integrated services can provide a more accessible, aligned, and coordinated response that is better suited to children’s and families’ needs.

Integrated models push back against developmentally inappropriate curriculum and approaches, promoting a more progressive vision of early childhood. Children benefit from all types of early years provision, but integrated care and education centers have been shown to improve their behavior, social skills, and overall well-being.

Integrated services can also provide benefits for services and communities. Chapter 3 of the Toolkit introduces the benefits of integrated and coordinated early childhood development services, which address child health and well-being, educational outcomes, early learning and childcare, and the child welfare system. An integrated approach would expand legislation that addresses these issues.

The report presents concrete recommendations on how governments and the international community can tackle global learning and well-being challenges by addressing service fragmentation and enhancing the quality of services across key sectors. The International Early Childhood Development Council (IECD) takes a coordinated approach to integrate and enhance the quality of services across key sectors, such as health, nutrition, water and environmental sanitation, psychosocial care with early learning, and child protection.

In summary, integration in early childhood systems is essential for improving the effectiveness of services while reducing public costs. The Framework presents substantial evidence for integrated services in early childhood systems, emphasizing the importance of shared responsibility between parents, care-givers, families, and service providers.