Policies to promote healthy child development
The following are a list of essential policies any government needs to pursue if it is to create an environment in which parents are supported and children nurtured.
Food
Food programs play a pivotal role in providing children with the nutritional intake necessary to fuel their healthy growth, nurturing their potential and securing a brighter future.
Cash
Cash assistance programs serve as a powerful catalyst in creating financially secure environments for children, offering both temporary and long-term social security measures that uplift families from poverty, ensuring that children have the opportunity to thrive and fulfill their potential.
Head start
Services to help parents and children navigate the sometimes stressful and tiring period of early-life development. This can include advice, medical support, and referrals.
Family leave
Paid family leave is a fundamental necessity, granting parents precious quality time with their newborn child, fostering secure attachments that will resonate throughout a lifetime, and providing the reassurance that parents can be present during this critical period of development without the anxiety of jeopardizing their job or income.
Health insurance
The availability of widespread and subsidized health insurance is vital in countries without free-to-access healthcare, ensuring that families have access to essential and affordable healthcare services, including vital immunizations, preventive care, and essential mental health support, fostering their physical, emotional, and developmental health.
Group support
Policies promoting group support provide essential mutual assistance for parents, especially mothers, during the crucial early months after pregnancy, fostering a sense of community, connection, and well-being for both parents and children.
Child-care and education
Child-care policies that offer subsidies for free or affordable child-care can provide a nurturing, secure, and enriching environment for children to thrive, enabling parents to work and provide for their families with peace of mind, knowing that their children are receiving quality care and support for their development.
High-quality education systems prioritize safe and inclusive learning environments with anti-bullying measures and comprehensive sex education, fostering a supportive atmosphere where students can thrive academically, emotionally, and socially, empowering them with knowledge and skills for a successful and healthy future.
Safe communities
Policies that promote child safety include strict regulations on firearms, traffic safety measures (such as speed limits, pedestrian crossings, and safe school zones), ensuring that homes and neighborhoods meet health and safety standards along with supportive social services that address poverty, homelessness, and substance abuse. And safe communities have strong child protection laws and regulations addressing issues such as child abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
Healthy environment
Policies that promote a healthy environment for children encompass various measures such as strict regulations on industrial emissions and pollutants, safeguarding their respiratory health and overall well-being; prioritization of green spaces to encourage children’s physical and mental health; promotion of renewable energy sources and energy-efficient practices which mitigate the adverse effects of climate change on children’s health; implementation of recycling and proper disposal of hazardous materials; adoption of organic farming practices and pesticide regulations; and integration of environmental education into school curricula, raising awareness among children about the significance of environmental conservation.