CAPACISER - INVIR DANS OUR DAYCARE FACES OF NATURAL DISASTERS AND VALUE EARLY CHILDHOOD PROFESSIONS (by Fa DIALLO)

Just days before the start of the school year, our country is hit by heavy rains causing unprecedented damage.

The devastating floods caused a cataclysm, destroying nurseries and schools, thus hindering the start of the new school year.

The destruction of early childhood structures by natural disasters constitutes an economic, social and human emergency that requires the implementation of systematic emergency public subsidies and a profound revaluation of the sector's professions.

When a flood or cataclysm destroys a daycare center, the impact goes far beyond the material loss: the entire infrastructure supporting families and the first pillar of child development collapses.

The consequences go beyond the destruction of equipment: the entire chain collapses in the time it takes for a few hours of rain.

Years of hard work and sacrifice melt like ice in the sun. Years of commitment, sometimes alone without any government funding, go up in smoke and are reduced to ashes.

Yes, it's painful! Beyond the emotion, what sustainable solutions are available to our country?

The entire economic framework surrounding education and early childhood care is being undermined and is showing its true weaknesses.

An unsupported system, yet so important, which fills the public gap in providing 100% care for children.

These private initiatives are not ordinary structures. They fulfill an essential public service mission. Their collapse due to a natural disaster immediately paralyzes communities.

Thousands of children were supposed to return to school this week, but the weather had other plans. This paradox highlights our challenges, compounding our inability to drastically improve early childhood education and eliminate these recurring shortcomings that occur every rainy season.

Dear State, it is time to establish this dialogue between civil society, private sector and public sector for a collective reflection towards a powerful and beneficial response to make early childhood a lever for economic development capable of rebuilding itself in times of crisis.

When would the schools reopen?

Which child will have the chance to return to their classroom?

Which parent will resume their activities and address childcare issues, particularly women?

Have you assessed the impact on our economy?

Can we work together to identify sustainable structural levers and curb the cost of inaction?

Investing and building resilience without weakening our economy is crucial because a parent who doesn't work impacts development. A parent who doesn't work sees their purchasing power diminish, affecting their family and their health. This domino effect is suffocating us.

The urgent need is for sustainable, not one-off, investment to maintain economic stability, enable our children to continue their learning, and guarantee equity from the first 1000 days.

Supporting private nurseries means guaranteeing that every child can stay in school and maintain social connections at the time when families need them most.

State support should not only aim to meet a specific need but should be rooted in a deep approach whose ultimate goal is to finance adapted and resilient structures to prepare early childhood for climate change.

Integrating the human capital of tomorrow into our policies aims to enhance the value of early childhood professions, which underpin daycare centers. These professionals, often referred to by various names such as nanny or caregiver, reflect a lack of understanding of their contribution to the future lives of the young children in their care. They approach their work as a true vocation, often at the cost of significant financial and personal sacrifices.

The dialogue I am inviting public authorities to incorporates this dimension regarding the challenges these professions face, which are crucial for future generations. It implies the recognition of their skills and grants them a more humane status and working conditions.

Each daycare center put at risk in no way diminishes the expertise, educational vision, and commitment of the professionals. Public inaction in the face of these disasters is tantamount to remaining stoic in the face of the future of our greatest treasure: our children.

It is time to take strong action in the face of all these uncertainties through investment, the implementation of emergency subsidies, and the structural revaluation of early childhood professions.

Fa Diallo

Founder of the Academic Institute for Babies (IAB), President of the BOYAM Association