Presentation delivered at the Early Childhood Development Regional Research Conference, hosted by UNICEF and the Caribbean Development Bank, February 13- 15, 2018 in Antigua and Barbuda.

1. KEY ACHIEVEMENTS IN BARBADOS
ECD
Presentation to the
Regional Conference
Early Childhood Development Good Practice Guide
Antigua
February 13 to 16, 2018

2. Child Care Board
Early Childcare Programme
3 MONTHS to 3 YEARS

3. VISION
To have a comprehensive social
service responding to the care and
protection needs of the family
MISSION
To protect and care for every child
through advocacy, counselling and
empowering the family, and,
where needed providing
alternative families and support in
an environment of trust with
loyalty and competency

4. CENTRES IN OPERATION
GOVERNMENT
PRIVATE
Number 15 120
[95 registered+25 conditional
licenses]
Capacity 1,116 4164
Staff 231 492
Student:teacher
Ratio
6:1 12:1

5. REGISTRATION PROCESS
Centres are registered based on standards which are set by the:
■ Child Care Board
■ Ministry of Health
■ Fire Department
■ Environmental Protection Department and
■ Town & Country Planning Department
Areas assessed, space, ratio of adult staff to children, resources,
including equipment, curriculum ( more than one visit is conducted)

6. KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
■ Increase registrations
■ Increased monitoring
■ Additional staff recruited
■ Increase equipment to Government
Centres
■ Increased attendance to PDC Meetings

7. ■ There is continuous in- house training with
Government Day Nurseries.
■ During the period 2017-2018, staff from the 15
Government centres and parents were trained
in Care for infant Development
(PAHO/UNICEF) ongoing activity, Zika
■ For Private Day Nurseries training was given in
areas such as: speech development; health,
communicable diseases
■ EN Nursery staff including supervisors also
attended a one day workshop entitled “Plan
for Early Childhood Practitioners …Where Are
We” by Dr. Sheron Burns
TRAINING

8. INTERSECTORAL COOPERATION
• Quarterly Stakeholders Meetings held with
Town and Country Planning
Ministry of Health
Fire Department
Environmental Protection Department
• Ministry of Social Care
• Ministry of Finance
• UNICEF
• PAHO
• UWI
• National Library Services

9. CHALLENGES
■ Capacity
■ Standardization of Qualification of
staff
■ Adequate monitoring of centres
■ Compliance by PDC

10. WAY FORWARD
■ Raising the Bar as it relates
to Early Childhood
Development
■ Methods of engagement
■ Monitoring and supervision
■ On-going Training

11. PUBLIC SCHOOLS
EARLY CHILD CARE PROGRAMME
3 – 4½YEARS

12. INCREASED ACCESS
■ GOB continues to increase access to Early
Childhood Education for its citizens
■ Partnership with NGO Maria Holder Memorial Trust
to build six nursery schools
■ In last two years two schools were completed
■ Four additional nursery schools for 360 students to
be built
■ Currently there are 12 Public Nursery Schools and
■ 49 Nursery Units at 74% of public primary schools
(Roll: 90)
(Roll:
120)

13. 1- Erdiston Teachers Training College offers
continuing education courses to teachers and the
public in Early Childhood Education.
2- GOB has partnered with Wheelock College
(Boston, Massachusetts) to train teachers in Early
Childhood Education.
■ Graduate Certificate in ECE (three cohorts
completed)
■ Master of Science in Care & Education in an
Early Childhood Setting: (34) graduates 2017
Additional (28) teachers enrolled this year
■ To date 95% of our Early Childhood
Coordinators have been trained
TRAINING

14. SUPPORT STAFF
■ Early Childhood Coordinators in all
nursery and Primary schools
■ Nursery Aides in all Nursery Schools
■ Parent Volunteers in all Nursery Units
of Primary Schools
■ Parent Volunteers also in all Special
Schools and Special Units attached to
Primary Schools

15. FINANCIAL SUPPORT
Early Childhood Development is a separate
line item in the Ministry of Education’s budget
to annually
■ equip Nursery Schools/ Nursery Units with
materials/resources
■ Equip all schools with playground
equipment
■ provide professional development for staff
(teachers, Nursery Aides and Parent
Volunteers).

16. INTERSECTORAL COOPERATION

17. CHALLENGES
■ Need to improve the physical plants of
Primary Schools with Nursery Units to further
accommodate access by Special Needs
Students.
■ Parents still flocking to urban Nursery
Schools because they work in the city.
■ A structured Before & After School
Programme is needed for early drop-off and
late pick-up of children.

18. ASSISTANCE NEEDED
■ Well equipped and staffed
schools to accommodate
nursery children with special
needs.
■ Continual training for teachers
■ Additional technology with
relevant software