IBM launches Global Leaders of Young Children initiative  

(Article originally published by WFC Resources, August 2004, as a Guest Column written by Roger Neugebauer, CEO and publisher of Child Care Information Exchange)

"For decades I have fought for better public support for early childhood services for low and moderate income families. I am increasingly discouraged with continuing shortcomings of our delivery system. However, having heard at the World Forum the incredible challenges facing advocates in Nepal, Croatia, Argentina, and South Africa, our concerns seem not nearly so urgent."
-- comment from US attendee at 2002 World Forum on Early Care and Education in Auckland, New Zealand.

As the burgeoning global economy continues to open up employment opportunities in developing nations, there is a corresponding increase in the demand for child care services. In many nations child care demand is exploding much as it did in the United States in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. However, as the US advocate quoted above indicates, the challenges to expanding child care services in many nations are immense. For example, presenters at recent World Forums have reported:

• In South Africa, child care centers are losing teachers to the AIDS epidemic faster than new teachers can be recruited and trained;
• In Brazil, early childhood programs in many communities must exist with less funds than the curriculum supplies budgets of a typical US center; and,
• In the Ukraine and many other former Soviet block nations, the once-extensive government supported child care systems have collapsed with the fall of communism, and communities are struggling to patch together new systems with greatly diminished resources.

Joan Lombardi, director of The Children’s Project and former head of the Child Care Bureau during the Clinton administration, was moved by the many stories of child care challenges around the world at the 2003 World Forum in Acapulco and decided to take action. She came to the World Forum Foundation and proposed a project to develop a new generation of early childhood advocates around the world.

When the World Forum Foundation approached IBM to be the founding corporate sponsor, they found a perfect partner. For decades IBM has supported the improvement of the child care delivery system in the US and in recent years, through its Global Work/Life Fund managed by WFD Consulting, has been heavily investing in similar initiatives in 25 nations around the world.

The resulting project, "Global Leaders for Young Children," is a quality improvement project to stimulate advocacy efforts around the world. Individuals selected as "global leaders" will be making a commitment to serve as change agents in their own communities to improve the quality of services for young children. In return for their commitment to participate, Global Leaders will participate in a two year mentoring/networking/skill development project. They will receive support to attend two meetings of the World Forum and access to an ongoing network of support for their advocacy efforts in their home countries. In addition, they will have the opportunity to apply for small advocacy project grants.

The first cohort of eight leaders, two each from México, China, South Africa, and Hungary, will meet in late November, 2004 at the World Forum Foundation’s regional conference, Working Forum Belfast, which will focus on "Building Bridges: Healing Communities through Early Childhood Education," where they will receive advocacy training and support.

Their second meeting will occur in May, 2005 at the World Forum on Early Care and Education in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. At this meeting these eight leaders will be joined by a second cohort of their peers from Brazil, India, Poland, and Argentina.

The World Forum has been held five times in Honolulu, Singapore, Athens, Auckland and Acapulco. It brings together over 500 early childhood leaders from up to 80 nations to share ideas and perspectives on the delivery of quality early childhood services in diverse settings. Corporations with a strong commitment to work/life balance, such as IBM, JohnsonDiversey, and Johnson and Johnson, have consistently supported the World Forum’s Fellowship Fund that makes it possible for early childhood leaders from developing nations to participate. Organizations or individuals interested in learning how they can become involved in the World Forum or in the Global Leaders project should contact the World Forum Foundation at ccroger@WorldForumFoundation.com.