Reaching the Disadvantaged: Ensuring Access to Quality Early Childhood Care and Education in the Estate Sector of Sri Lanka

Abstract

Children's health and learning during early childhood are the basis for their full participation in society. But not all children grow up the same to benefit equally from regulated early childhood care and education (ECCE) policies. Therefore, this study has explored context-specific barriers which disrupt the implementation of ECCE policies in selected estate communities of Sri Lanka. It also pro-vided a possible framework of solutions to facilitate the ECCE implementation in most impoverished communities. Drawing on a case study design integrated into grounded theory, this study indicates that the ECCE is not well implemented in some estate com-munities due to unfavourable sociocultural determinants. The absence of an enabling environment prevents children from access to ECCE services. Access to ECCE services can be ensured only when a localized and culture-responsive mechanism is adopted at community levels. Adopting the globally recognized ECCE policies at local levels should be facilitated by incorporating some social engineering principles such as advocacy, enabling, and reflecting to ensure that all children have access to ECCE services without interruption and discrimination.