Quito, Ecuador, September 7, 2023 — After children around the world went back to school in recent weeks, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) emphasizes that ensuring economic recovery and development for families is key to bridging gaps in access to initial education in Ecuador, including for migrant children.
Upon the conclusion of the Manos que Cuidan (Caring Hands) project in Ecuador, which integrated early childhood development with components of economic recovery and development, the IRC identified that promoting improved income opportunities for families directly influenced children’s access to formal education systems. Following an analysis of insights provided by 75 participants in an exit survey, the IRC found that:
- 73% of families more than doubled their monthly income, rising from US$ 320 to US$ 660 after receiving financial education and seed capital to strengthen their existing small businesses.
- At the end of the project, 76% of children from participating families were already enrolled in a Child Development Center, in comparison to the 52% who attended a center at the project's inception.
- Parents and caregivers expressed that the increase in income allowed them to focus on aspects beyond meeting basic needs, such as finding ways to register their children in the school system. Additionally, 96% of them reported having more time for play.
Marianne Menjivar, Director for the IRC’s Venezuela Crisis Response, said:
"To address the challenges faced by both migrant and Ecuadorian families, it is essential to bridge the humanitarian response to urgent needs with a long-term approach that provides durable solutions. Promoting access to high quality child care and education from the earliest stages of life is one of these necessary solutions, one that will yield significant benefits for society in the future.
“If we want families to be able to take their children to school, however, we need to guarantee that they can afford it. Empowering caregivers with alternatives to generate and improve their income can facilitate the recovery process when experiencing a crisis, paving the way for better opportunities."
The first five years of life are key for the future of children, and in Ecuador, 11% of the population falls under this age group. However, many children and their families—both migrants and Ecuadorians—face challenges to access early childhood education. For children of migrant families, obstacles can intensify, with some of them being xenophobia and lack of resources to cover expenses related to education.
Funded by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation and implemented by the IRC with local organizations Fundación de las Américas para el Desarrollo (FUDELA) and Centro de Desarrollo y Autogestión (DYA), the Manos que Cuidan project supported 275 primary caregivers with training to promote the comprehensive development of their children in early childhood stages. The training covered aspects such as the adoption of positive care practices, learning about their rights and processes to foster the incorporation into the school system. In addition, 100 of them had access to a program to strengthen their financial wellbeing, including financial literacy and seed capital to boost existing small businesses.
Notes to editors
- The Manos que Cuidan project played a pivotal role in establishing two innovative models to promote early childhood development. These models centered around the creation of play spaces and strengthening of existing community-based childcare services.
- Through Manos que Cuidan, the IRC collaborated with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and UNICEF to develop a framework to turn the community-based childcare spaces into self-sustaining entities.