An ECD Impact study from Nepal
"What's the Difference: The Impact of Early Childhood Development Program - Its Effects for Children, their Families and Communities"

Far from being an ,unaffordable luxury for a country like Nepal we are seeing that ECD programs are a key part of ensuring young children’s rights and the best investment governments, donors and families can make.

The study describes an early childhood program in Nepal and the dramatic effects it has had over just a few years, not only for young children, but for their families and communities. It looks in particular at the impact the program has had on children’s transition to school, a significant issue in a country where many children never start school and where those who do start drop out in large numbers during the first and second year. The

study took place in 38 communities that have ECD centers in an extremely impoverished district in the eastern Terai.The study, which Save the Children conducted with experts from the Children’s Environments’ Research Group, looks at the impact on children’s development and at changes families identify in their relationships with their children and with their children’s ECD centers and schools. Many of the findings of this study have been in regard to the impacts of ECD programs on children’s school success - enrollment rates, pass rates, school retention, gender and caste breakdowns and demonstrate dramatic benefits for children exposed to early childhood development programs. Equally important, it drew on people’s experience, opinions and observations in order to understand the dynamics underlying these trends. The results were particularly striking for girls and children from disadvantaged groups.

“What’s the Difference? The Impact of Early Childhood Development Programs” is published by Save the Children, Children’s Environments Research Group and UNICEF (To read the complete summary of findings visit www.ecdgroup.com)