This presentation by Andy Dawes, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Psychology at the University of Cape Town, was delivered as part of the Child Development panel 'Can we provide food for life and effective education for all?' at the 'Young Lives, child poverty and lessons for the SDGs' conference on 27th June, 2018.

1. June 27th 2018, London
Andy Dawes
Ensure strong beginnings and support
for development from conception to
adolescence
Young Lives Child Development Panel:
Can we provide food for life and effective education for all?
@yloxford

2. Overview
1. Young Lives Design
2. An ecological systemic orientation
3. Developmental Cascades: virtuous or vicious cycles?
4. Modelling a cascade using Young Lives data
5. Policy & intervention: Promoting positive cascades

3. Study Design

4. Ecological Framework
Life Events
Family ill-health
Death
Livelihood change
Societal context
Household context
Children’s development: key development periods and transitions
Impact of events
moderated by protective
factors
Nature of events
shaped by contexts
Institutional context (esp. school)

5. A negative developmental cascade
Early childhood
0-5 years
Growth stunting
Poor Health
Compromised
cognitive
development
Not ready for
school
Middle
childhood
6-11 years
Weak basic
skills
Poor school
progress
Early
adolescence
12-15 years
Unprepared for
senior school
Growing risk of
school drop out
A new generation in poverty?
Household Context: Poverty; food insecurity; family stress; shocks
Policy & Institutional Context: Inadequate access to social protection; Weak basic
services; limited opportunities to learn and progress in school; Poor public health
services
Late
adolescence
16-19 years
Limited skills
Poor job
prospects
Transition to
adulthood
19-22 years
Unemployed
& poor with
limited ability
to sustain a
family

6. MODELLING A CASCADE FOR MATHEMATICS
ABILITIES AT FIFTEEN IN THE FOUR YOUNG
LIVES COUNTRIES

7. HH WEALTH
Predictors of Mathematics Abilities
R1
1 YR
R 2
5 YR
R 3
8 YR
R4
12 YR
R5
15 YR
MATERNAL
EDUCATION
MATERNAL
MENTAL
HEALTH
GROWTH STUNTING
HOURS SCHOOL & STUDIES
HOURS CHORES & TASKS
MATHS 8 MATHS 12 MATHS 15
MATHS GROWTH
-
-
-
PRESCHOOL
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
-
EARLY QUANT
SKILLS
+
-
-
+

8. POLICY & INTERVENTION
PROMOTING POSITIVE CASCADES

9. Early childhood Middle childhood
BasicEducational,Emotional&SocialSkillsinplace
• Healthy growth &
development
• Ready for School
Provide enabling and protective environments across childhood
(1) Reduced Household poverty (2) social protection (3) low environment and economic risk; (4) strong basic services (especially water
and sanitation); (5) universal health coverage; (6) no violence; (7) inclusive and gender equitable values and social norms.
Strongfoundationsforhealthanddevelopmentinplace
• Healthy growth &
development
• Start school on time
• Age appropriate grade
progression
• Achieving expected
learning outcomes
• OTL at school and home
• Quality vocational training
• Safe schools and
communities
• Gender appropriate facilities
• Access to social capital
• School and other
institutions are platforms for
youth services
• Healthy growth & development
• School completion
• Equipped for Further
education, training and work
• Positive psycho-social
development
A successful
transition to
adulthood
Appropriate
skills and
psychosocial
well-being in
place
Ready for Adult
Roles &
Responsibilities
Adolescence
WhatmattersWhatmakesadifference
• Maternal and
child nutrition
• Attentive care
• Maternal mental
health
• Maternal
education
• Family support
• Quality preschool
• Opportunities to
learn (OTL):
a) Schools: quality
pedagogy and
facilities; school
feeding; safety
b) Home: high
parental aspirations
and support for
learning; limited
tasks and chores

10. Thank you
Special thanks are owed to the children and
families who participate in Young Lives, without
whom this study would not exist.
Young Lives is a collaborative partnership between
research institutes, universities and NGOs in the
four study countries and the University of Oxford.
The study has been core-funded by UK aid from
the Department for International Development
(DFID).
We are hugely grateful to our collaborators,
research teams, wider staff and funders.