New global report calls for urgent action on children’s right to early development 

SOS Children’s Villages, a worldwide leader in caring for children, contributed to the comprehensive global report, “The Right to a Good Start in Life: A Child’s Right to Holistic Early Child Development”, which calls for governments globally to increase investments in early childhood development programs—giving every child the healthy start they need to survive and thrive. 

But this healthy start can only be achieved when children have safe, loving homes and stable environments. Children left alone by emergencies, displacement and disasters often experience violations of their early rights. 

Children who are the most vulnerable include:  

— Children with disabilities, who are ten times less likely to attend school and are routinely excluded from health screenings in humanitarian settings. 

— Children who are displaced or refugees, of which only one-third have access to primary education and less than half are covered by national health plans.  

— Girls in crisis settings, who face additional barriers in accessing food, health care and schooling. 

— Children in institutional care, who often experience developmental delays and long-term harm from family separation. 

Global urgency for the most vulnerable 

The research highlights that approximately 90% of brain growth occurs in the first five years of life. Without proper intervention during this crucial window of development:  

— Toxic stress can permanently alter brain chemistry and have lifelong consequences on physical health.  

— Cycles of poverty and inequality are likely to be perpetuated across generations. 

“The early years are not simply the most effective time to invest; they are often the only window in which permanent damage can be prevented,” the report states. “Underinvestment in this period not only violates children’s rights but forfeits a generation’s potential.”  

But with a supportive relationship with a caring, trusted adult, the negative effects of toxic stress are not necessarily indefinite. They can be mitigated, managed or even reversed with Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs)—like access to school and healthy relationships with supportive adults—which help children heal and build resiliency.  

According to this research, strong family structures and community support systems are vital for children’s emotional security, cognitive development and overall well-being, emphasizing an area of child development that SOS has championed for decades: the importance of safe, loving families.  

A call for international action 

The report calls on the United Nations General Assembly to adopt a resolution recognizing every child's right to a good start in life and urging governments to uphold their obligations under international human rights law through robust, equitable early childhood development systems. 

"This is particularly vital in a time of overlapping global crises, where the youngest and most vulnerable children face escalating risks to survival and development," the research states. "The world's most marginalized children must not be left behind." 

Download the report

About SOS Children’s Villages:   

SOS Children’s Villages is the world’s largest organization providing safe, loving homes to children without parental care. For more than 75 years and in 130 countries, SOS Children’s Villages has been raising children with everything they need—loving families, healthy food, quality education, professional health care and more. SOS provides continual support as young people transition into adulthood—all while strengthening the families and communities around them, so children and young people can reach their full potential and thrive.