This report describes early childhood care and education (ECCE) and other family support policies and programs in seven southeast Asian countries: Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. The report draws primarily on background country reports prepared by officials in these countries to focus on the context in which policies and programs have been developed, describes extant or proposed child and family support policies and programs, and details specific ECCE initiatives in each country. The report notes that all the countries stress the central and traditional role of the family in rearing and socializing children and that improvement in the status and role of women is a fundamental component of efforts toward enhancing the situation for children. Trends influencing the growing demand for ECCE include family changes, legislative initiatives, increased awareness of the impact of early childhood experiences on child well-being, school performance, and adult productivity. Barriers to expanding ECCE include competition for resources with other needs, government administrative arrangements, and the extent to which care and education are viewed as integrated and administered under one government agency, or separate and administered by several agencies, departments, or ministries. Specific ECCE initiatives are described for each country. The report concludes by emphasizing that there is growing recognition of the importance of ECCE but limited resources, staff shortages, lack of training opportunities, and the prevalence of traditional values have limited the development of ECCE programs. (Contains 12 references.) (KB) (ERIC No. ED472360)
