Public policy for early childhood is urgent – 10/06/2023 – Laura Machado

In the event of a cyclone or drought, like the ones we are experiencing in the South and North of the country at the moment, children and young people must be rescued first. This is what our Constitution says in article 227: children and adolescents are an absolute priority.

At the time of the Constituent Assembly, we did not know the discoveries that science would make next and that would corroborate the constitutional decision regarding early childhood, the period between 0 and 6 years old.

Early childhood is a delicate time. The brain develops rapidly in the first years of life and is very sensitive to care and environmental stimuli.

As the development of skills and competencies happens more easily at this stage, the impact of interventions is more effective and long-lasting. Early childhood represents a great window of opportunity.

Because children need stable, caring relationships and responsive interactions, poverty alleviation and development guidance policies are critically important.

According to the organization NCPI (Núcleo Ciência pela Infância), children with healthy development and in good conditions find it easier to acquire knowledge, which helps them to subsequently achieve good academic performance, achieve personal, vocational and economic fulfillment and become responsible citizens.

Knowing the influence of the child’s environment, it is easy to imagine the long-term consequences of poverty in the first years of life. The environment of insecurity and income uncertainty in the family, the stress felt by the mother and the absence of the necessary tools for care negatively affect the child’s development.

Our policy to combat poverty, Bolsa Família, does not prioritize those who have priority. A couple without children, being below the poverty line, receives R$600 from Bolsa Família, R$300 for each of the two members. A couple with two children receives R$800, R$200 for each of the four members.

Therefore, the program design allows families with children and young people to receive 33% less than families without children. It also allows the mother during pregnancy and early childhood to become more susceptible to uncertainty and insecurity, which generates consequences for the family and our future.

According to Pnad (National Household Sample Survey), in 2022, 11.5% of children aged 0 to 6 were below the poverty line of R$ 218. Depending on the state or territorial unit, they are in this condition one in four children.

Considering the historic budget, R$175 billion in Bolsa Família, we can do better. We lack a national policy of protection and care at the most important moment in human development, when the architecture of the brain is established, which impacts learning, behavior and health throughout life.

The initial and direct implication for public policy is to transfer income by number of family members, so that at least everyone has the same value.

Once this is done, we need to resume a national program of visitation and induction of child development for vulnerable families, such as Criança Feliz, including the lessons learned in its first version. Nothing new, both policies that we have already implemented and that we have expertise in.

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