Promoting Childhood Development Globally Through Caregiving Interventions

Throughout the world, there has been widespread recognition that children’s development is shaped by the cultural context and interactions that begin prenatally and extend throughout childhood.1,2 Children raised in stable and nurturing settings that provide adequate nutrition, responsive caregiving, protection from adversities, and opportunities for learning, along with health and educational services, have the best chance of reaching their full developmental potential.3,4 Nurturing interactions begin with families and extend to community programs and services, including childcare providers, and to policies that shape the macrosocial environment. Children’s early competencies can prepare them to achieve increasingly complex competencies throughout childhood and adolescence, and to become healthy, caring, and productive adults, assuming responsibilities for their family, community, and society. With declines in child…