ABSTRACT
The chapter stresses on the importance of a radical policy shift in favour of the young child with due endorsement at the highest levels of policymaking and in the private domain. It presents a set of recommendations for various stakeholders including the family, the governments – both at the national, state and local levels – civil society groups and the corporate sector to come together to end the chronic neglect of the young child. From making ECD a national priority to enhancing budgetary allocations, from professionalising childcare services to addressing data deficits, from restructuring ICDS to focussing on poor performing states and regions, the chapter provides a way forward that is solutions-oriented and recognises the criticality of the early years of life.
