Financing, data gaps threaten early childhood education in Latin America and Caribbean

Strengthening early childhood education in Latin America and the Caribbean will require more sustainable financing, stronger data systems and more inclusive services, according to experts who addressed a recent regional panel on early childhood development.

The discussion took place during a colloquium organised by the JN Foundation and The University of the West Indies School of Education, in partnership with the Dudley Grant Early Childhood Resource Centre. The event brought together specialists in global financing, education and child development to assess persistent gaps in the sector and outline priorities for reform.

Dr. Emre Ozaltin, lead economist for the Caribbean at the World Bank, said long-term progress in early childhood development (ECD) depends on diversified and resilient financing models. He stressed the importance of coordinated support from governments, development partners and the private sector, particularly in disaster-prone contexts.

“A diversified approach to funding in this area may be best – a combination of public budgets, targeted subsidies and innovative financing mechanisms, such as public private partnerships and targeted taxes,” he said. “Sustainable ECD financing is not a one-size-fits-all. Approaches tailored to social, political and economic realities, and critically, the flexibility to be able to respond quickly when disasters do strike are needed.”

Ozaltin also highlighted the importance of investing in stronger data systems to support evidence-based decision-making, noting the need “to be able to observe the actionable information to improve the [existing] systems that we have.”

Professor Zoyah Kinkead-Clark, professor of early childhood care and education at the UWI School of Education, echoed concerns about data and accountability, calling for stronger monitoring and evaluation to ensure that programmes are effective. Referencing the impact of Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica, she said evaluation must be integrated with comprehensive support services to protect equity and continuity of care during crises.

“We really need to be using that monitoring and evaluation to make the key decisions that are needed to guide the sector. We understand that many young children and their families are vulnerable, especially now, and this highlights the need to provide the kind of support they require. As a region, perhaps we can start thinking about ‘wrap-around services’ for our children and their families,” she said.

Dr. Rebecca Tortello, education specialist at the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), focused on the need for improved learning environments in early childhood institutions, including more sensory-based spaces to support children’s social, emotional, physical and cognitive development.

“It’s important that we find ways to replicate more of those spaces, following a model created by UNICEF with the Rockhouse Foundation at Savanna-la-Mar Infant Academy- one of the schools badly damaged by Hurricane Melissa. That model included clinical support through a partnership with the Ministry of Health and Wellness,” she said.

Tortello also pointed to upcoming investments in screening and assessment, referencing plans for a new research screening centre in Portland to complement the existing facility at Mico University College. She noted that Jamaica previously had about eight sensory or clinical spaces before the hurricane and said expanding such facilities could help close gaps in the National Early Screening Pathway.

“These sensory spaces, if strategically placed around the island, can be a possible way to bridge a key gap in the pathway,” she said, referring to the system that begins with the Child Health Development Passport and includes assessments such as the Jamaica School Readiness Assessment, developed by UNICEF and the UWI Department of Child Health and administered by the Early Childhood Commission (ECC).

She added that the way forward must also include more inclusive infrastructure at early childhood institutions, such as ramps and accessible toilets, as well as expanded access to teaching resources. These include accessible digital textbooks available through UNICEF’s Learning Passport Jamaica platform and professional development programmes like the Inclusive Early Childhood Education course offered annually by the ECC and the Jamaica Teaching Council.

Dr. Tracy-Ann Morgan-Smith, senior director of regulations and monitoring at the ECC, said improving early childhood education—particularly in Jamaica—will also require legislative reform, teacher licensing and stronger disaster preparedness.

“We’re looking at putting in the legislation for system strengthening [to cater to] the whole aspect of the licencing and mandatory areas for teachers to do their professional development. Areas like toxic stress and the trauma children deal with after a disaster. That is critical. We also have to look at our climate resilience, how we now respond to education in emergency situations,” she said.

Morgan-Smith also noted that Jamaica’s recently enacted Data Protection Act and the expanding use of digital tools will require closer attention to how early childhood legislation safeguards the data of children and families.

The two-day JN Foundation and UWI School of Education Dudley Grant Early Childhood Resource Centre Colloquium was held from November 27–28 at the UWI Regional Headquarters under the theme Let’s shape tomorrow, together. The event brought together educators, policymakers and sector leaders to examine the state of early childhood education in the region and map out a path forward.