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Investing in early childhood is one of the most effective ways to ensure children succeed in school and increase families' economic well-being, says a report released today in commemoration of Mother's Day.
"Early childhood care and development is a proven and powerful investment in national well-being and future economic prosperity," but millions of children around the world do not have access to the quality early learning and development programs that would help them excel later in life, says the international humanitarian group Save the Children in an annual report. State of the World's Mothers 2009 "shows that tools and resources exist to keep all children healthy, safe, and learning, but that these resources are not reaching the mothers and children who need them most."
"Comprehensive early childhood development programs, starting in infancy, can put millions of children worldwide on the path to school success," said Save the Children President and CEO Charles MacCormack. "There are simple steps that parents and caregivers, even the poorest, can do to help babies and toddlers grow up healthier, do well in school, and reach their full potential."
"The future of humankind will be defined by how well mothers today are able to raise the next generation," states Save the Children. However, mothers in developing countries face extreme health risks during pregnancy, childbirth, and the first weeks after birth. "Women in the world's least developed countries are 300 times more likely to die in childbirth or from pregnancy-related complications than women in developed countries," warns the United Nations children's agency in its annual publication, State of the World's Children, released earlier this year. To lower maternal and infant mortality, UNICEF -- much like Save the Children -- recommends improved and consistent primary health care and emphasizes the importance of educating girls.
- reprinted from One World