The Human Rights of Children and Young People from the Beginning: Early Childhood Care and Education for all

Abstract

This article presents a description of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) as a basis for guaranteeing fundamental human rights from birth. ECCE is the first stage and a solid base – considering the relevance of development processes from birth to six years. Active early education, committed to the reality of a community, facilitates the training of young citizens as rights’ agents. In this sense, the education and care in early childhood is indispensable. This article communicates a descriptive synthesis of the current state of the ECCE in various regions and countries, especially in Latin America – Argentina – and in Europe – Sweden.

In the analysis, theoretical sustenance about childhood and new perspectives that discuss classical conceptions are presented. The educational process is fundamental and is described as Early Education (EE), presenting a synthesis of the ECCE from its normative conformation that arises from the statements of Jomtien (1990). The concept of Educare is presented, as a holistic approach to education and care within early childhood. This aspect is linked to highlight the inequality gaps for children, describing ‘fragmented territories’, in terms of guaranteeing rights. The final reflection summarizes the importance of Early Education, recovering the current studies on Educare, which project the guarantee of rights from birth.

Citation

Engdahl, I. and Losso, M. (2019), "The Human Rights of Children and Young People from the Beginning: Early Childhood Care and Education for all", Human Rights for Children and Youth (Sociological Studies of Children and Youth, Vol. 24), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 11-34. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1537-466120190000024002