Abstract

It is globally acknowledged that the first six years of a child’s life are the most critical years for life-long development as during these early years, children develop their cognitive, physical, social and emotional skills that lay the foundation for life-long learning and holistic growth. Save the Children, with its implementation experience across India, believes working towards provisioning of Early Childhood Care and Education(ECCE) as one of the key strategies that will prepare children in the age group of three to six years with school readiness skills and improve their quality of learning. In line with this, SC India is going to implement a project titled “Strengthening Quality of Learning in Public Primary Schools through Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE)’’.

In this context SC India has commissioned CBPS to undertake a set of research studies on ECCE to examine the status of implementation of ECCE in India and its gaps, as well as to undertake an analysis of costs of alternative models. Specifically, the objectives set for CBPS were to:

1. Prepare a status report on ECCE and its implementation including gap analysis
2. Generate qualitative evidences particularly in three states (Telangana, Odisha and Delhi)
3. Budget analysis of ICDS
4. Provide alternative economic models for ECCE

The four areas have been synergistically addressed, drawing from across the four sections that map onto each of the objectives and linking relevant data, observations and insights in a meaningful manner throughout the reports. Thus, while these are four reports, these must be read together to make complete sense.

The reports are:

• Status Report on Implementation of ECCE in India and its Gaps (With special focus on Delhi, Odisha and Telangana)
• Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS): An analysis of the national budgets with special reference to three states (Delhi, Odisha and Telangana)
• Selected non-ICDS ECCE models: An analysis of features, costs and revenues
• Recommendations and policy directions for ECCE in India: Lessons drawn from the three research reports on ECCE

A combined summary of the four reports is presented in this document, in the form of an Executive Summary. The document contains the following sections:

1. Acknowledgements
2. Abbreviations
3. Executive Summary
4. A list of participants at our National Consultation Workshop
5. References

CBPS. (2018). Research studies on ECCE - guide to use the reports. Bengaluru: Centre for Budget and Policy Studies.