The Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Responsiveness in Local Government project, funded by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Development UPD– Office of Extension Coordination Extension Grant, aims to empower local government units (LGUs) in evaluating their ECCD Responsiveness, especially during emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic. This project is led by Asst. Prof. Kathleen Keisha Constantino, faculty member of Department of Family Life and Child Development, College of Home Economics, University of the Philippines Diliman. Last April 20-21, 2023, by collaborating with the Muntinlupa City LGU in this pilot run, the project team documented the impact of the pandemic on the LGU’s existing ECCD services and how they adapted their service delivery mechanisms using the ECCD Responsiveness LGU Assessment Tool (ERLAT) developed by Asst. Prof. Constantino as a fellow in Early Childhood Development Action Network (ECDAN) in 2021.
Key figures from the Muntinlupa City’s Early Childhood Education Division (ECED), as well as child development teachers and workers, participated in a workshop that focused on understanding ECCD, including legal frameworks and how to mainstream it into the local planning process. Selected faculty members from UP Department of Family Life and Child Development also served as resource speakers of the workshop. The participants were also trained on using the ERLAT to collect data and evidence, analyze the results, and perform a qualitative assessment of their LGU’s ability to integrate ECCD into local development plans during disruptions. They were also able to identify gaps and areas for improvement. This project was conducted through the Extension Load Credits of Asst. Prof. Constantino.
Congratulations, Ma’am Kesiha!