Early child development in resource-poor settings: balancing children's material and mental needs - a personal account

Abstract

In 2003, 10 million children worldwide died before reaching their 5th birthday (Black, Morris, & Bryce, 2003). What can leaders in the infant and family fields from the industrialized world, or from affluent sectors in developing countries, do to prevent these largely unnecessary child deaths? What needs to be done to ensure not only the survival of very young children, but also their healthy growth and development (Myers, 1992)?

This report opens the way for the department and its collaborators around the world to focus research and program development on care. The report also recognizes caregiving as an overarching but neglected process that is essential to children's survival and development, especially in resource-poor settings.