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Children are our future.Let us cherish and nurture them.

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Introducing the CCSI

Very young chi ldren in the Caribbean – par t icularly the disadvantaged – are miss ing out on important developmental opportunit ies. S ince 2002, an integ rated prog ramme across the region has been strengthening the care environment with highly ef fect ive early chi ldhood development and family support prog rammes.

This init iat ive is the Caribbean Child Support Init iat ive (CCSI) with par t icular focus on the Easter n Caribbean. It is funded by the Ber nard van Leer Foundation located in the Netherlands, and managed by the Caribbean Centre for Development Administrat ion (CARICAD) based in Barbados.

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Innovation is a hallmark of our work we envisage and then create programmes that fill major voids

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The Vision

Our vis ion is for Caribbean young chi ldren from al l social and economic backg rounds to have equal opportunit ies to reach their maximum potential .

The Mission

Our miss ion is to have wel l-adjusted chi ldren ready for pr imary school by fac i l i tat ing cognit ive, social and emotional st imulat ion of chi ldren 0-5 years in disadvantaged c ircumstances, support ing knowledge and capacity bui lding to parents and other caregivers, and through advocacy to decis ion-makers and other stakeholders.

This wil l be achieved by being wel l-resourced and wel l- informed; and by forging strategic al l iances with early chi ldhood development (ECD) inst i tut ions, and with publ ic- and private-sector par tners in the region and beyond.

The CCSI del ivers a balance of three key elements :

1 . Family and community inter vention 2 . Knowledge bui lding and appl icat ion 3 . Pol icy advocacy and communicat ion

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The best inheritance parents can give to their children is a few minutes of their time each day

— M. Grundler

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CCSI Accomplishments – SYNOPSIS

The CCSI has an excel lent track record of making a di f ference, having improved early chi ldhood development throughout the region s ince 2002. By par t ic ipat ing in the Caribbean Plan of Act ion for Chi ldren, we have helped shape the wider pol icy context . We have also provided a g rounded model consistent with the aspirat ions of the Regional Framework (Jules 2010) .

FAMILY & COMMUNITY INTERVENTION

1. One of our huge success stories, the Roving Caregivers Prog ramme (RCP), has been repl icated in f ive Caribbean countries, with more l ikely soon. 2 . Over 10,000 Caribbean chi ldren age 0-3 have already benef i tted from CCSI-supported init iat ives. 3 . Parents and other pr imary caregivers are also supported – we launched the region’s f ir st Family Lear ning Prog ramme (FLP) to meet their l i teracy and numeracy needs.4 . Young adults are introduced to early chi ldhood development issues through our Youth and Community Advocacy Network (YouCAN), and over 250 young people have received early chi ldhood development ski l ls tra ining. 5 . Experimentat ion is one of our hal lmarks, often with broad benef i ts : regional radio projects and storytel l ing have involved whole communit ies, and our Early Chi ldhood Health Outreach (ECHO) prog ramme l inked RCP concepts with health vis i t ing.

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KNOWLEDGE BUILDING & APPLICATION

6. Ter t iary-level students have contr ibuted s igni f icantly to CCSI-supported init iat ives, and 175 Caribbean underg raduates have benef i tted from our inter nships. 7 . We under take research to assess our work – recent f indings include the posit ive impact of CCSI-supported init iat ives on home vis i ts, parenting knowledge and pract ices, and chi ld outcomes, a long with the cost e f fect iveness of the RCP. 8 . We host regional events to share Caribbean and inter nat ional research and knowledge on early chi ldhood development and parenting. Independent research informs our prog rammes, and we support small-scale studies to f i l l ident i f ied research gaps.

POLICY ADVOCACY & COMMUNICATION

9. Youth advocates, and publ ic- and private-sector champions are spreading the word about early chi ldhood development and CCSI supported prog rammes.10. We share information about early chi ldhood development through our media par tnerships, website, and extensive print materials and presentat ions.

INTERNATIONAL & REGIONAL COLLABORATION

11. By working in par tnership with gover nments and exist ing support structures, over US$800,000 has been raised s ince 2002 from publ ic- and private-sector donors. 12 . We have strategic par tnerships with the UNICEF, Pan American Health Organisat ion, CARICOM Secretar iat and the Univers ity of the West Indies.13. Over US$1 mil l ion has been donated to CCSI supported prog rammes by gover nments and other donors.

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1. Family and Community Intervention

Family and community inter vention is par t icularly important for disadvantaged g roups that may otherwise miss opportunit ies for early chi ldhood st imulat ion in the cr it ical years of development .We aim to fac i l i tate cognit ive, social and emotional st imulat ion of young chi ldren.

Here are our major family and community inter vention milestones and accomplishments to date.

1 .1 The Roving Caregivers Programme (RCP) i s the flagship prog ramme of the CCSI. This informal early chi ldhood development prog ramme reaches chi ldren age 0 – 3 years who do not have access to any formal early chi ldhood educat ion, and fac i l i tates inter ventions within the family and wider community.

Perhaps the g reatest success of the RCP is the fact i t can be eas i ly repl icated and adapted. It was launched in Jamaica in 1993, and then repl icated in Dominica , Grenada, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines (2004) , in Tobago (2006) , in indigenous Maya communit ies in souther n Bel ize (2008) and in Bel ize City (2009) . Other countries have expressed interest in the prog ramme, including Suriname.

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Through the RCP, many disadvantaged chi ldren and their famil ies have gained access to qual i ty sup-por t ser vices :

1 .1 .1 By December 2009 over 6,000 children and parents were benef i t ing from ser vices introduced by the CCSI

1 .1 .2 Over 300 Roving Caregivers and other staf f have been recruited and trained by the CCSI

1 .1 .3 During 2009, Roving Caregivers held a total of 137 community meetings and fac i l i tated 2,280 parent consultations

1.2 The Family Learning Programme (FLP) – designed to address the needs of Caribbean parents and other caregivers – extends the goals of the RCP by addit ional ly support ing an ent ire family ’s educat ional goals. I t is l inked to matters of chi ld upbringing and family support in both home and community contexts.

1 .3 The Early Childhood Health Outreach (ECHO) programme ensures the sustainabi l i ty of the RCP, and demonstrates how well the RCP adapts to f i t exist ing systems and mechanisms. It strengthens caregiver awareness of the importance of early chi ldhood development and provides techniques to promote the health and development of very young chi ldren. As such i t “ f i l ls any gaps” in early chi ldhood development (ECD) ser vice del ivery and is des igned to be integ rated into the state ’s exist ing mater nal and chi ld health prog rammes, and l inked to any appropriate community-based ser vices. In St . Vincent and the Grenadines, the Ministr ies of Health , Educat ion and National Mobil isat ion s igned a jo int letter of intent to inst i tut ional ise the ECHO prog ramme fol lowing i ts launch in June 2010.

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1.4 Community-based storytell ing and radio broadcast initiatives (2005 to 2007) in Bel ize, Dominica , Grenada, St Lucia , St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago helped the CCSI to develop par t ic ipatory research methods enabl ing parents and chi ldren to descr ibe real i ty in their own terms (rather than in the terms of exper ts) .

1 .4 .1 The Storytell ing for Early Childhood and Parent Support (STEPS) initiative used storytel l ing to re inforce early chi ldhood development . In workshops and consultat ions, parents lear ned storytel l ing ski l ls and developed stories, poems and lul labies. A guide ent it led “The Roots and Wings for Storytel l ing: A Guide to Caribbean Story Bui lding and Storytel l ing” was produced.

1 .4 .2 The Regional Radio Project (RRP) empowered community members in these countries to produce local radio prog rammes address ing their own early chi ldhood development and family issues. In St Vincent and the Grenadines, these were streamed l ive on the inter net . In Dominica , chi ldren were direct ly involved in radio init iat ives. During the project , Grenada was ravaged by Hurricane Ivan and broadcasts therefore highl ighted family d i f f icult ies in the aftermath of the disaster – unique recordings that are frequently used in c lass and community discussions to this day.

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1 .4 .3 Fol lowing the success of the RRP, and at the request of the chi ldren themselves, regular once-a week Children’s Multimedia Workshops were fac i l i tated in 2009 by the Chi ld Fund Caribbean and the CCSI for indigenous Dominican chi ldren aged 3 – 9 years to d iscuss issues of family and community. These workshops resulted in a radio prog ramme ent it led “Let Us Talk” , publ icat ion of two story books, “My Hear t is Sweet” and “Cast ing Our Lines” , and youth fac i l i tator training.

1 .5 Training and capacity bui lding

1 .5 .1 High Scope Training : a total of 207 RCP super visors, co-ordinators, day care super visors and caregivers (publ ic- and private-sector) and teachers from two private preschools received training in new curriculum supplement (Apri l 2009) .

1 .5 .2 NCTVET : an intensive training prog ramme in Dominica to enhance early chi ldhood home v is i t ing ski l ls by cer t i fy ing Roving Caregivers at Level 1 and Super visors at Level 2 . Within one year, more than 50 Roving Caregivers gained NCTVET Level 1 cer t i f icat ion (Apri l 2009) . 1 .5 .3 RCP Coordinator Training in Proposal Writing and Presentation Skil ls to fac i l i tate e f fect ive presentat ions to local community and c ivic g roups, as wel l as to the publ ic- and pr ivate-sector (July 2008) .

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1 .5 .4 Sub-regional Family Learning Training : In 2009, Bel ize hosted the launch of the Family Lear ning Prog ramme (FLP) . Regional tra ining was subsequently conducted in Bel ize, Grenada, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines attended by 225 representat ives f rom across the region.

1 .5 .5 Systematic Roving Caregiver Training : to ensure qual i ty ser vice del ivery at a l l stages of the RCP, the CCSI supports regular and systematic training. In 2008, a total of 151 Roving Caregivers received a total of 1 ,363 hours of tra ining.

1 .5 .6 ECHO Training : twenty Community Health Aides (CHAs) in St Vincent and the Grenadines have been trained in RCP theory and methodolog y and have begun implementat ion in a pi lot community. In addit ion, a l l CHAs employed by the Ministry of Health wil l be trained to incorporate RCP theory and methodolog y when v is i t ing the homes of very young chi ldren.

1 .5 .7 Study visits are frequently used, enabl ing Rovers, RCP coordinators and other pract i t ioners, as wel l as Permanent Secretar ies and other gover nment of f ic ia ls, representat ives of regional and inter nat ional organisat ions and other decis ion makers to witness prog rammes in operat ion. Pract i t ioners lear n from their peers and gain ins ight that can be put to pract ical use on retur n to their own prog rammes.

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1.6 Family and community support materials

1 .6 .1 The Roving Caregivers Early Childhood Home Visiting Programme - Guide for Training Rovers : a manual containing materials for use in Roving Caregiver training, including assessment methods, act ivity units and resources to be used during home v is i ts (2003) . Updated in 2009 with the guidance of the High Scope Educat ional Research, i t includes a training video for new Rovers (home-vis i tors) and “ l i teracy extensions” (provided from the Family Lear ning Prog ramme) .

1 .6 .2 “Diego Dish and Carlotta Spoon” i s a story developed in the STEPS sess ions, publ ished in 2009 by the CCSI as a mult i l ingual book and audio recording. With broad regional appeal , i t showcases Caribbean creat ivity by combining the ski l ls of local editors, i l lustrators, researchers, radio producers, voice talents and printers.

1 .6 .3 Newsletters – Each RCP country has produced at least four newsletters s ince 2008, some received corporate support ; the Regional Radio Project produced s ix newsletters between 2005 and 2006, and the Family Lear ning Prog ramme produced three newsletters in 2010. These newsletters target the audiences of the respect ive init iat ives.

1 .6 .4 Information booklets – The RCP has produced two information booklets, one for parents and one for Rovers (home-vis i tors) . S imilarly, the Early Chi ldhood Health Outreach (ECHO) prog ramme has produced an information booklet for parents.

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1 .6 .5 Family Learning Kit – provides materials and information for trainers and parents on family lear ning, l i teracy and numeracy. Included in the kit is A Family Lear ning Tool booklet ser ies on di f ferent act ivit ies (cooking, playing, storytel l ing, s inging, etc) .

1 .6 .6 Simplif ied briefs – on various early chi ldhood development issues (play, brain development , etc) for parents and other caregivers to use in their homes and in c l inics (as par t of the RCP and ECHO prog ramme) .

1 .6 .7 Pathways to Parenting: A Caribbean Approach – a manual that provides modules on parenting fac i l i tat ion. Revised in 2006 with support from CCSI, i t has been tested and is widely used throughout the Caribbean.

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As mediator and facilitator, we offer new ways to channel the enthusiasm and energy of young adults into long-term engagement with social development

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“Few regional initiatives in any sector have laid as solid a foundation as the CCSI involving knowledge-generation, financial modelling (and cost-efficiency justification), theoretical and methodological exemplification, and compelling advocacy.” Dr. Didacus Jules, 2010

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2. Knowledge Building and Application

In 2002 when the CCSI was launched, there was only patchy knowledge of rural famil ies and early chi ldhood development in the Caribbean, with research focused on some is lands and not on others.

The CCSI has been very successful in engaging regional researchers – including the Caribbean Child Development Centre at the Univers ity of the West Indies, Jamaica – and applying the knowledge generated from such research.

Here are our major knowledge bui lding and appl icat ion milestones and accomplishments to date.

2 .1 The Learning Community Programme (LCP) – introduced in 2006, this ongoing prog ramme has enabled senior and younger scholars in the region to col laborate in developing an early chi ldhood development research agenda with pract ical reference. Through this prog ramme, the CCSI has fac i l i tated funding for small research projects and hosted a ser ies of research events where gaps could be identi f ied and f indings could be discussed and disseminated to a wider audience.

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As wel l as helping to upg rade and disseminate knowledge, ra ise awareness and create opportunit ies for advocacy, and develop relevant materials, these act ivit ies have guided inter nships and research in accordance with LCP object ives. Studies coming out of the LCP include:

2 .1 .1 Ou wi f i f i taak yaad: Jamaican parent-chi ld interact ion in home language development , 2008

2 .1 .2 School Improvement Through Effect ive Teacher Deployment : a case study of Jamaican pr imary school , 2008

2 .1 .3 Young Birds that Storm: l i fe experiences of boys aged 6-8 years l iv ing in communit ies o f extreme pover ty and violence, 2008

2 .1 .4 Jamaican Children and Media Violence, 2008

2 .1 .5 The Sex-Role Stereotyping in Caribbean Working Class Chi ldren: Barbados, Jamaica , 2010

2 .1 .6 Gender Dif ferences in Competencies of Chi ldren making the transit ion from pre- to pr imary school in rural Jamaica and two Easter n Caribbean Is lands (St Vincent , Guyana) , 2010

2 .1 .7 “A Natural Ting Dat?” : Primary Caregivers Perspect ives on Sexual i ty and the Young Child , Jamaica , 2010

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2.2 Applying LCP knowledge – this unique primary research has enabled numerous act ivit ies including:

2 .2 .1 Summary reports o f the LCP researcher meet ings (2006, 2008) .

2 .2 .2 Literature review on chi ld rear ing in the Caribbean (2006) .

2 .2 .3 Formation of an advisory committee to advise the LCP on prog ramme act ivit ies and re search proposals.

2 .2 .4 Provision of small grants to support Caribbean research act ivit ies.

2 .2 .5 36 researcher presentations provide source material for publ ic educat ion and pol icy-brie f purposes (2006, 2008) .

2 .2 .6 Regional learning events in St Kitts (2008) on Child Rearing in the Caribbean and in Dominica (2006) on Early Lear ning.

2 .2 .7 Two-day researcher meetings and “Applications Day” in St Kitts, attended by senior pol icy-makers and prog ramme personnel from nine Caribbean countries to lear n about and d iscuss the impl icat ions of recent relevant research (2008) .

2 .2 .8 Position paper on parenting support to promote a long-term solut ion to parenting issues in the region, presented to the twel fth Special Meeting of the Counci l of Human and Social Development (2008) .

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2 .2 .9 Academic articles on aspects of early lear ning and development in the Inter nat ional Jour nal of Early Years Educat ion (March 2008) .

2 .2 .10 Six policy briefs which condense the evidence of recent regional and inter nat ional research on fatherhood, dual- language acquis i t ion and instruct ion, e f fect ive disc ipl ine, the impact of parent-chi ld interact ion, Caribbean chi ld-rearing pract ices, readiness for transit ion from pre- to pr imary school , and gender issues in the family.

2 .2 .11 LCP internships for 16 young adults from Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica , St Kitts, St . Vincent and Trinidad from Media and Communicat ion, Sociolog y, Social Work, Psycholog y and Educat ion facult ies.

2 .2 .12 Caribbean Childhoods publication , a mult i -disc ipl inary jour nal of the Univers ity of the West Indies, wi l l feature ar t ic les from CCSI-sponsored LCP research ( i ssue due in 2011) .

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2.3 An ongoing longitudinal impact study on the Roving Caregivers Programme in St Lucia is providing much-needed evidence for home-based (as opposed to centre-based) inter vention in early chi ldhood. Indeed, pr ior to this study, there was very l imited evidence anywhere in the developing world .

Launched in 2006, this quantitat ive and qual i tat ive study fol lows a one-year experimental study o f the Roving Caregivers Prog ramme in Jamaica which indicated s igni f icant increases in the cognit ive development and hand-eye coordinat ion of chi ldren, and improvements in mothers ’ chi ld rear ing knowledge, but did not take into account nutr it ional status .

Init ia l f indings from this study (2008) demonstrate that RCP-type inter vention has “a substantial impact on the cognit ive development of young chi ldren after one year of enrolment” and parents, par t icularly f ir st-t ime mothers, benef i t s igni f icantly from new awareness about nutr it ion and disc ipl ine pract ices . Subsequent f indings (2009) indicate sustained cognit ive benef i ts, posit ive socio-emotional development for gir ls, and improvements at a l l levels of income and mater nal educat ion. It is expected that these study results wil l be appl icable to the other countries currently implementing the RCP.

2.4 A cost benefit analysis of the Roving Caregivers Programme , conducted by the Amsterdam Inst i tute of Inter nat ional Development (2010) concluded the RCP “ is substantial ly cheaper than a lter nat ive inter ventions” . Consistently, the RCP approach has proved cheaper than community-based or pr ivate day care, or publ ic pre-school inter ventions. These independent f indings conf irm that the RCP can cost-ef fect ively del iver vital ser vices through mult i -par tner a l l iances in a way that is repl icable and adaptable.

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2.5 The Caribbean Internship Programme , launched in 2003, has already provided over 175 regional inter nships to young adults from regional ter t iary inst i tut ions and includes students from various disc ipl ines such as Arts, Behavioural Science, Educat ion, Media and Law. Inter ns take on training, advocacy, communicat ion and research ass ignments, typical ly last ing three months and some as much as one year, in Dominica , Grenada, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines. As wel l as fur thering the work of the CCSI, these individuals gain pract ical experience in their respect ive f ie lds as wel l as an appreciat ion of interdisc ipl inary work.

2 .6 A Regional Parenting Symposium in St Maarten (October 2003) was attended by over 40 regional pract i t ioners involved in parenting educat ion and parenting support . Designed to impact pract ices and pol icy, the event enabled information sharing and exchange of experiences on topics such as parenting and gender/fatherhood, parenting and chi ld-rearing, and parenting and adolescents.

2 .7 Independent research continues to be supported by the CCSI and enables us to cr i t ical ly review and analyse our work.

2 .7 .1 The CCSI commissioned the Inst i tute of Development Studies (IDS) to under take an e f f icacy study of the CCSI (2009) . This proact ive, innovat ive ass ignment resulted in the publ icat ion of “The Capacity to Have an Ef fect : An Ef ficacy Study of the Caribbean Child Support Initiative” by Rosal ind Eybens and Fiona Wilson of IDS, which concluded that the CCSI has a g reat capacity to make a di f ference.

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2 .7 .2 The CCSI also commissioned a concept paper ent it led “Positioning the Roving Caregivers Programme as a Caribbean Model” by Dr. Didacus Jules (2010) . It f inds the RCP model to be a viable contr ibutor not only to early chi ldhood development but also to pover ty al leviat ion and to a regional social safety net .

2 .7 .3 A par t ic ipatory Rover Experience: Rover Reflections lear ning and act ion exercise in 2010 involved focus g roups in sett ing speci f ic roles, v iews, ambit ions and prospects of the Roving Caregivers. The g roups were fac i l i tated by Horace Levy in Grenada and Dominica , as the RCP evolves towards local sustainabi l i ty.

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“Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.”

— Emilie Buchwald

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3 Policy Advocacy and Communication

I t takes t ime to change things. For nearly a decade around the region, par t icularly in the Easter n Caribbean, the CCSI has been working alongside regional par tners to advocate pol icy change for early chi ldhood development and to communicate why this change is so essential .

During this t ime, we have mobil ised many advocates – people who speak and take act ion for h igh-qual i ty early chi ldhood development (ECD) and family support ser vices. These advocates include publ ic- and private-sector champions, the media , parents and community g roups in Dominica , Grenada and St Lucia , and CCSI-trained Roving Caregivers and inter ns throughout the region.

Here are our major advocacy and communicat ion milestones and accomplishments to date.

3 .1 Public- and private sector champions – leaders from various pol i t ical , profess ional and corporate backg rounds are committed CCSI champions, us ing their seniority and networks to spread the word about our prog rammes. They include Prime Ministers, Permanent Secretar ies, Gover nment Ministers, lawyers, bankers, and directors from a broad spectrum o f corporate organisat ions and associat ions.

3 .2 The Power of One: The Role of Advocacy in the Development of a Strong Care Environment Workshop : des igned to boost regional advocacy and leadership to ensure g reater awareness of early chi ldhood development , and to secure g reater resource a l locat ion, this workshop in St Lucia was attended by over 40 Roving Caregivers and inter ns from across the region (October 2008) .

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3 .3 YouCAN – our Youth and Community Advocacy Network was launched in June 2010 at one o f our regular Advocacy Training Workshops. Seventeen youth and community leaders f rom Dominica , Grenada, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines received training in advocacy ski l ls and techniques, and have subsequently launched YouCAN init iat ives of their own which engage over 115 young people in support of our prog rammes, par t icularly our flagship home-vis i t ing inter vention, the Roving Caregivers Prog ramme (RCP).

3 .4 The Caribbean Media Corporation i s a CCSI par tner, and i ts regional cable TV prog ramme CaribVis ion broadcasts endorsement and information about our init iat ives. CaribVis ion reaches nearly hal f a mil l ion households or 1 .5 mil l ion viewers in over 20 Caribbean countries and terr itor ies, and in south F lorida .

In addit ion, targeted media sess ions in Dominica , St Lucia , and St Vincent ser ved to strengthen other important media relat ionships, some of which generated free radio, TV and newspaper coverage (eg, broadcasts on Rizen 102 FM in St Lucia , the Educat ion Media Unit in St Vincent , and most Gover nment Information Ser vices) .

3 .5 Televised panel discussions – we have produced two televised panel discussions on our Roving Caregivers Prog ramme, with panel l ists from regional organisat ions, the publ ic- and private-sector, and our RCP coordinators. These panel discussions have been broadcast in over 20 Caribbean countries and in South F lorida .

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3 .6 Public service announcements (PSAs) and endorsements – we have produced two “Taking Care” publ ic ser vice announcements (15- and 30-second vers ions) , which have been broadcast throughout the region. In addit ion, we have par tnered with UNICEF to produce PSAs ent it led “Chi ldren are Never too Young to Lear n” and “Lear ning Through Play” . RCP endorsements recorded by Rovers, parents, enter tainers and educators have been broadcast through the CMC CaribVis ion channel .

3 .7 The Roving Caregivers Programme: The Belize Experience i s a br ie f DVD product ion that highl ights the newest RCP repl icat ion, demonstrat ing the adaptabi l i ty of the RCP model to di f ferent countries and cultures. In Bel ize, the RCP was introduced to indigenous Maya communit ies in the south (2008) pr ior to introduct ion into urban inner-c ity communit ies (2009) .

3 .8 Public exhibitions

3 .8 .1 RCP showcases – reaching a total audience of 1 .2 mil l ion, this ser ies of publ ic exhibit ions communicated and bui lt advocacy for the Roving Caregivers Prog ramme. inaugural showcases were held in Jamaica , Dominica , Grenada and St . Vincent and the Grenadines (November 2009) , promoting the importance of play, the role of income-generat ing act ivit ies, parent-chi ld interact ion, and the social and economic value of invest ing in early chi ldhood development and family support prog rammes. At each event , Roving Caregivers gave profess ional and compell ing test imony about their experiences of the prog ramme and i ts impact on chi ldren, parents and communit ies. Subsequently, Bel ize, Cuba, Dominica , Grenada, St Lucia , St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Suriname have held mini-showcases target ing their local stakeholders and communit ies to gain fur ther support .

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3 .8 .2 COHSOD showcases – to st imulate adoption of the Roving Caregivers Prog ramme, we held showcases at the CARICOM-hosted Special Meeting of the Counci l of Human and Social Development on Youth Development and Youth Summit in Suriname (January 2010) . We subsequently fac i l i tated a Dominica RCP study vis i t for delegates from the gover nment of Suriname. Another showcase was mounted at the COHSOD on Educat ion, in Georgetown, Guyana in October 2010.

3 .9 Website – nearly 600,000 hits between January and September 2010 indicate that the CCSI website is providing a useful information resource.

3 .10 E-newsletter – launched in October 2009, our monthly newsletter reaches a wide cross-sect ion of over 500 regional and inter nat ional individuals and organisat ions, del iver ing prog ramme updates and featuring inter nat ional perspect ives on early chi ldhood development issues and concer ns of relevance to the Caribbean.

3 .11 Information and promotional materials – we have produced extensive materials to equip our advocates, champions, other par tners and the media . And they help us to distr ibute this information regional ly and inter nat ional ly.

3 .11.1 Hard-copy newsletters – for development par tners and corporate audiences, we produce a b iannual newsletter.

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3 .11.2 Briefs, summaries, talking points, video documentaries – to date, over 13,000 copies o f these materials have been produced and distr ibuted regional ly and inter nat ional ly on topics including: • BrainDevelopment • Invest ing inECD • TheImportanceof Play • EarlyChi ldhoodDevelopment : Impl icat ions for Del inquency • Parent-ChildInteract ion • Readiness for School • InvestmentModels for ECD • Posit ioningof theRovingCaregivers Programme • Publ ic- andprivate-sector involvement • Rat ional isat ionof thesocial sector

3 .11.3 Video documentaries on parenting support innovat ions in the region including :

• YouthandSexual i ty Project (Trinidad) • Fathers in pr ison (Bel ize) • RovingCaregivers Programme(Jamaica) • Parent OutreachProgramme(Barbados) • PlayandLearn (Dominica) • RCPRevis ited (Jamaica)

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3 .12 Other events and presentations

3 .12.1 Preschool education showcase – focusing on noninst i tut ional a lter nat ives and experiences, we showcased the RCP and par t ic ipated in inter nat ional panel d iscussions at the Inter nat ional Meeting on PreSchool Educat ion in Cuba ( July 2010) .

3 .12.2 We made a jo int presentat ion with RCP Jamaica to the Annual Policy Dialogue of the Inter-American Development Bank ( IDB) in 2010 in Washington DC, under the topic “Non-Conventional Strategies to Del iver Social Ser vices in Lat in America and the Caribbean” . 3 .12.3 . We made joint presentations to cabinet on sustaining the RCP in Dominica , St Lucia and Grenada, a l l o f which received endorsement and commitment of support from the respect ive Prime Ministers and their Cabinet Ministers. A letter o f intent to sustain the prog ramme was co-s igned by three Permanent Secretar ies in St . Vincent and the Grenadines.

3 .12.4 We presented to representat ives of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) to introduce the CCSI prog ramme, emphasis ing the importance of early chi ldhood development and family support to sub-regional social pol ic ies and h ighl ighting the potential for mainstreaming support through gover nment rat ional isat ion of social ser vices. An aide memoir was drawn up outl ining fo l low-up act ion.

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International and regional collaboration

The CCSI has successful ly developed important strategic par tnerships with inter nat ional organisat ions including UNICEF, PAHO and UNESCO. As wel l as receiving valuable support from these organisat ions, we have also benef i tted s igni f icantly from their influence in publ ic pol icy advocacy with Caribbean gover nments.

We col laborate with a broad range of regional agencies and associat ions including the University of the West Indies, the Caribbean Community Secretar iat , CARICOM, the Caribbean Child Development Centre, the Caribbean Development Bank and the CARICOM Early Chi ldhood Working Group. These al l iances ensure that our prog rammes conform to regional and inter nat ional conventions.

Using the Caribbean Plan of Act ion for Chi ldren (1997) as our point of reference, we contr ibuted to shaping the wider pol icy context , and provided a pract ical prototype of how high-qual i ty early chi ldhood development (ECD) ser vices can be integ rated into exist ing systems, and be consistent with the aspirat ions of the Regional Framework.

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The University of the West Indies has committed more than US$ 500,000 to our innovat ive Caribbean Inter nship Prog ramme, and more than 175 inter ns have been placed across the region – a win win solut ion both for the young adults and for chi ld- and parent- focussed agencies.

In the process of mainstreaming ECD support ser vices, over US$1m has been donated to our prog rammes by gover nments and other donors. In addit ion, a l l four gover nments in the RCP pi lot s i tes have already taken responsibi l i ty for sustaining the CCSI- introduced ser vices.

End Notes

1 Bel ize - 32, Dominica – 21 , Grenada - 88, Jamaica – 03 , St Lucia – 31, St Vincent – 32

2 National Counci l on Technical and Vocat ional Educat ion and Training, 2009

3 Wint & Janssen 2008

4 Wint & Janssen 2008

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We must teach our children to dream with their eyes open.

— Barry Edwards