Pagyabong: Formation and building capacities among DLSU-CWTS day care partner organizations towards a community-based early childhood care and development

The importance of achieving an integrated early childhood care and development (ECCD) program is reinforced by the latest research on child development including studies that evaluate the long-term effects of young children\u27s participation in various forms of early childhood care and development programs. These studies highlight the need to address the needs of the child as a whole human being with interrelated dimensions of growth and development: physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development. The child\u27s needs cannot be effectively provided for if the relationships between these dimensions of child development are not addresses in tandem. This does not mean in practice that every organization or program should be based on an understanding of the context within which the child lives, grows and learns, building on the strengths of this environment and planning ways of addressing the need and weaknesses of this environment by making the most of available resources (Working with Young Children and Families, 1995, DSWD, p.1) Nowadays, there has been a significant increase of private preschools that provide programs for children in their formative years. Also, in the past years, there has been a steady increase in the numbers of community-based early childhood care and development programs that have been initiated by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). These programs may be similar to the day care service and may even follow the same program design. Some may be closer to private preschools or more formal and structured early childhood education programs with preparation for formal schooling or entry into primary education as the primary goal. This is actually one of the primary reasons why COSCA has forged partnership with various organizations implementing ECCD programs since the start of NSTP-CWTS in DLSU because they believed that holistic formation process should begin in this early stage of life. Moreover, the vision and mission of these organizations are aligned in the University\u27s vision of being a leading learner research university, bridging faith and scholarship, in the service of society especially the poor. In fact they served as partners and co-formators in instilling values and character among the youth who are believed to be the hope of the nation. Not only as recipients of aid from Lasallian students, but as co-journeyers and key actors in teaching minds, touching hearts and transforming lives as demonstrated through students\u27 actual experience and interaction with the lost, the least and the last in the community. Hence, COSCA through the NSTP-CWTS Team took the initiative in conducting a consultation workshop on the situation of DLSU-CWTS day care partner organizations to find out the status of ECCD program implementation among current partners and the journey of the implementers geared towards advancing the existing mechanism and systems and preparing each stakeholder for possible opportunities and future action plans