On Friday, the Brazilian government together with ALAS Foundation and the Xuxa Meneghel Foundation officially launched today a partnership in support of early childhood. This partnership, proposed in March of this year by the President of Brazil Dilma Rousseff and Shakira, includes, among other things, action plans to increase access in quality education, health and nutrition in this country. The event was attended by important personalities and representatives of the Brazilian government including the Minister of Human Rights Maria do Rosario, the Governor of Rio de Janeiro, Sergio Cabral, as well as ALAS representative, Shakira and Brazilian presenter and president of the Xuxa Foundation, Xuxa Meneghel.

Shakira, representative of ALAS in her speech, highlighted the cooperation program in Brazil stating:

“Both ALAS and I are proud to be part of a program that provides the children of Brazil with education, health and nutrition, the tools they need to break the cycle of poverty and inequality.

The first 6 years of a child's life represent the most important stage of development. It is in these years when their brains and capacities, their functions and basic skills are developed. Therefore, I am convinced that investing in Early Childhood Development represents an investment in the future of our countries.

I hope that programs like the one we are launching today in Brazil are replicated in all of Latin American. The possibility to end poverty and marginalization is at our fingertips. Let's keep working together so our children may paint a better future for themselves and for us all.”

The main objective of the program is to strengthen early childhood education policy in Brazil with priority given to children from 0 to 6 years of age. In order to do so, the program will advice participating municipalities to improve the quality of care in preschools, among other actions. The training will focus on four areas in particular: quality teaching methods, human resource selection, teacher training and working with the family and the community, using a child rights-based approach. The goal is to reach 100 institutions in a period of four years - 25 centers per year - starting in October 2011, in the State of Rio de Janeiro to gradually expand the range of action by 2015.

Encouraging the development and implementation of public policies and programs that give priority to early childhood development (ECD) is, undoubtedly, the best investment for the future of Latin America. So today, the presentation of the partnership between the Brazilian government, ALAS and Xuxa Meneghel Foundations, is not only an important step for Brazilian children, but for the development of Latin America.