Abstract:
India is the home to the largest child population in the world. The first eight years of life are critical years of human life since the rate of development in these years is more rapid than at any other stage of development. “The development of children is the first priority on the country’s development agenda, not because they are the most vulnerable, but because they are our supreme assets and also the future human resources of the country”. Each child requires a safe and nurturing environment to develop optimally. Thus, Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) encompass the inseparable elements of care, health, nutrition, play and early learning with in a protective and enabling environment. It is an indispensable foundation for lifelong development and learning and has lasting impact on early childhood development. It is imperative to according priority attention to ECCE and invest in it since it is the most cost effective way to break the intergenerational cycle of multi disadvantages and remove inequity. Investing in ECCE will undoubtedly lead to long-term social and economic benefits.
