Early Childhood Care Development and Education: Impact, Challenges and Prospects in Nigeria

Abstract

Early childhood care development and education is an early intervention programme that helps detect problems that might inhibit the growth and survival of the child by nurturing and providing basic skills and ingredients needed for over all development. This paper presents a conceptual frame work of early childhood care development and education and the under lying philosophy as stated in the policy documents. It further examined the impacts, challenges and future prospects of early childhood care and education programmes in Nigeria. It recommended that, recruitment of professional care givers, adopting baseline assessment and sensitization for stakeholders, providing reliable statistical data and figure, creating a child friendly environment, proper funding, monitoring and evaluation among others, will go a long way towards actualizing the lofty dream of early childhood programmes as a basic component of the on-going universal basic education scheme in Nigeria.