UNICEF: New kit helps children under 6 in crises

NEW YORK, USA, 15 July 2009 Building on the success of its School in a Box kits for education in situations of conflict or natural disaster, UNICEF today launched a new product designed for children under the age of six living in emergency or post-crisis environments.

It is essential to ensure resumption of normal childhood activities without delay, even in an acute phase of an emergency, said Executive Director Ann M. Veneman.

The Early Childhood Development (ECD) Kit, unveiled today in Geneva, aims to encourage the continued development and social interaction of children during and after crises.

Each of the ECD Kits prepared by UNICEF contains 37 items designed to promote social interaction with young childrens peers and caregivers. Before its global unveiling, the kit was piloted in seven counties in crisis or post-crisis transition, including Iraq, Chad and Maldives.

It is the first of its kind within the humanitarian community designed to address the developmental needs of young children, said Deputy Director of Emergency Programmes Dermot Carty.

The materials dominos, colouring pencils, construction blocks, hand puppets, puzzle blocks, memory games give children a sense of property, something which they own, he added. Our experience in the field tells us that educational kits act as magnets to children.

To read the full story, visit http://www.unicef.org/earlychildhood/index_50266.html

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• UNICEF
• Early
• Childhood
• Development
• Kit
• ECD
• children
• crisis

[RCvolunteer1978]

this was know about in the 1960s it is years of rescreach so that the trained prof. can be paid millons of dollars to tell some it is ok to give a child a soft huggable doll to play with and give comfort .wake up it isgood that you are doing this NOW stop saying that you are so well educated to how to care for a child