Abstract: Governments and global funders have ambitious ideas on how to address the world’s health, education and literacy crises. Yet too many families and their children still lack the support they need to thrive. This is due, in large part, to approaches that are limited to individual sector challenges, and the real work is not getting done. We must act now to remove the silos between sectors and truly address what families need.
Earlier this fall I joined global leaders in literacy, health and finance at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA#81). Together we explored the urgent need for stronger, integrated systems that support the health and well-being of young children and the families raising them.
I left New York energized by the expertise, innovation and commitments from government ministries and organizations like ECDAN and Theirworld. More notably, I also came away with a sense that a major challenge remains largely unaddressed. Across my twenty-plus years in this field, the growing disconnect between the needs of families and the current resources available has never felt more apparent.”
Simply put, if we are to make real progress for children from birth to age five, we must move beyond isolated programs to a model of shared, cross-sector accountability. Instead of individual organizations reinventing what’s already been established, we must leverage solutions across sectors for broader impact.
Here’s how we achieve that.
- From silos to shared solutions
Too often, organizations working toward the same goals operate in parallel rather than together. Funders back individual initiatives, researchers produce evidence and governments write policy, yet we consistently overlook the one resource that connects them all: parents. Parents and caregivers are the only constant across every system, from the pediatric clinic to the classroom to the home.
Health and education offer a clear example. A child’s ability to learn can’t be separated from their health, development and home environment, yet the systems meant to support children operate in silos, leaving families to piece together disconnected services.
Real progress will come when we organize our efforts around the lens of a parent rather than around institutional boundaries. Imagine a physician “prescribing” reading as part of routine care, so parents learn why reading with young children matters alongside guidance on immunizations and developmental milestones.
Parents are asking for clear guidance because the “proverbial village” that once supported them has changed. What helps is simplicity: small routines, built into moments families already have, that build parents’ confidence and benefit their children.
- Measure what matters to parents
Evidence is essential, but evidence alone does not create impact. We must move beyond counting programs launched, partnerships announced and participant numbers to what matters to parents and caregivers: whether they feel confident supporting their children’s development.
Parental efficacy – “confidence” in research terms – may be the most important measure we have. And the solutions that drive this efficacy are ones that help families build habits that last and prepare the children to learn and grow. Above all, the solutions must be sustainable over time.
At Worldreader, we’ve seen firsthand how this takes effect. Caregivers’ use of brain-building activities and books in our BookSmart app is associated with gains in self-efficacy.
At every level, we need that same discipline: share what works, acknowledge what doesn’t and use data to guide investment.
- Turn ambition into action
As the global community works toward helping young children thrive by 2030, we have an opportunity to do more than simply mobilize resources. We can improve how those investments work together.
Three shifts can help:
- Define success in terms parents can feel, starting with their confidence to care for their child.
- Invest in areas where health, education and early childhood development overlap.
- Fund simple, trusted guidance that parents can use in routines they already have, like a clinic visit or a bedtime story.
- Build accountability from the start, with clear responsibilities, transparent reporting and regular assessments.
These steps allow us to move beyond organizational priorities and take shared responsibility for lasting change.
The measure of progress is what changes for children
Leaving New York, there was good reason to feel optimistic. There’s no question about the commitment to progress, and we have stronger evidence, innovative tools and engaged partners.
Yet I am not naive about how immense the needs are, or how finite the resources. Our greatest opportunity lies in bridging the gap between global commitments and a family’s daily experience—ensuring every parent leaves a clinic fully empowered about their child’s health, and every bedtime begins with the confidence and tools to share a story. That’s why we’re fervent in our belief that we must keep parents and their families at the center of all that we do. Engaging parents in the power of reading to drive lifelong outcomes for their children is the most important measurement and a commitment to hold ourselves responsible for results. At Worldreader, we know our impact is greater when that work connects with health systems, educators, community organizations, funders and governments.
Let’s build upon the ambitions of the Act for Early Years by turning our convictions into actions, and our actions into accountability for driving progress!
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Rebecca Chandler Leege is the CEO of Worldreader, a global tech nonprofit dedicated to helping families build daily reading routines that prepare children for lifelong learning.
