As per the UNICEF report, the health pandemic of tectonic magnitude has led to the worsening of the crisis in early childhood development, with more than 40 million children globally missing out on fundamental education in critical pre-school years.
"Families need support from their governments and their employers to weather this storm and safeguard their children's learning and development," UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said in a release accompanying the policy brief, "Childcare in a global crisis: The impact of COVID-19 on work and family life", Xinhua news agency reported on Wednesday.
The 11-page report released by UNICEF's Office of Research - Innocenti details out the state of childcare and early childhood education globally and includes a detailed analysis of the impact of widespread COVID-19 closures of vital family services.
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It said the Covid-19 induced lockdowns imposed by governments around the world have left many parents struggling to balance childcare and paid employment, with a skewed burden placed on women who, on average, spend more than three times longer on care and housework than men.
The closures have also exposed a deeper crisis for families of young children especially in low- and middle-income countries, many of whom were already unable to access social protection services, the brief said.
The report underlines the importance of Childcare, which is deems is essential in providing children with integrated services, affection, protection, stimulation and nutrition and, at the same time, enable them to develop social, emotional and cognitive skills, it said.
"Education disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic are preventing children from getting their education off to the best possible start," said Fore. "Childcare and early childhood education build a foundation upon which every aspect of children's development relies. The pandemic is putting that foundation under serious threat."