Global Initiatives

The Global Children's Initiative at the Center on the Developing child; Harvard University is a very defined system designed to disseminate the importance of early childhood education to selected communities.  Founded in 2006; the intent of the program is a view that society is best when it considers the lives and education of young children.  It is believed, within their mission statement, that healthy child development benefits communities and society's.

The Global initiative has three primary objectives; To re frame public discourse about the early childhood period, To support innovative, multidisciplinary research and demonstration projects, To build leadership capacity in child development research and policy.  Within these three goals they have identified three domains to help guide the principles; early childhood development, mental health and children in crisis and conflict.

The goals and domains of this program were one important insight that I discovered.  Primarily because this program aims to work from the governments down.  The intent of this first objective is strongly advocate to "high level decision makers" the importance of early health and education.  The work is done in selected countries and communities; in this work they not only begin to help those families and children that are struggling but to the decision makers of these areas.  This objective seems to be a vital approach to the initiative as it is all encompassing.

The second important insight was the outreach services to mental health.  I myself have struggled with mental health issues most of my life and I know how difficult it can be to obtain services, treatments and support - even right here in the United States.  So, I was thrilled to know that the Harvard University initiative has a system in place to "identify the scope of the problem within and across countries and to develop evidence-based approaches in policy and service delivery that are responsive to diverse cultural contexts."

That having been said the third insight I had was a focus on the statement with in the mental health aspect of this initiative - "subject to sufficient funding."   I realized that this wonderful part of the initiative may not ever take place due to funding.  Mental health is such n important issue to address for all communities and countries and for all people - not just children.  So, to realize that, even at the Harvard University, something as important as mental health still struggles to be at the forefront of helping people, families and communities.

http://developingchild.harvard.edu/initiatives/global_initiative/