러시아ㆍ유라시아

This report assesses the key constraints on the supply of (quantity and quality) and demand for early childhood development (ECD) services for pregnant women and children under the age of five in Armenia and puts forth recommendations on how to improve access to ECD services for poor and socially vulnerable families. The government of the Republic of Armenia, with support from the World Bank and other development partners, is currently expanding the existing social work system in Armenia to more actively link vulnerable families to ECD services. A specific objective of the report is to inform the design of this expansion. The World Bank team carried out a survey of ECD services providers in the four marzes of Ararat, Gegharkunik, Lori and Yerevan. The report draws heavily on the findings of this facility survey, the Integrated Living Conditions Survey (ILCS) 2017,3 the Social Snapshot and Poverty in Armenia, the Armenia Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) 2015-16 (NSS 2017), and on other ECD-related studies conducted in Armenia. The report’s assessment and recommendations are also grounded in global evidence on ECD. This evidence highlights the importance to human development of receiving nurturing care in the early years. There is robust evidence that early experiences shape the brain’s structure and functioning, and that deprivations during the prenatal period and early childhood can have substantial negative impacts on later cognitive ability and educational achievement. Early childhood development services that promote nurturing care during this period are cost effective, and programs for disadvantaged children during early childhood have a higher rate of return than programs introduced later in life. Services with proven benefits to ECD include antenatal care, promotion of child nutrition and micronutrient supplementation, parenting education, and preschool education. Global evidence points to specific interventions in each area that have proven impact.