INVESTING IN EARLY FORMATIVE YEARS FOR ATTAINING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

ABSTRACTEarly childhood years are crucial and are foundation years of life. Early years are formative years and the experiences of formative years have lifelong impact. Holistic development is a concept that emphasizes the importance of nurturing and developing an individual‘s well-being, encompassing all aspects of their physical,mental, emotional, and social growth. Holistic development aims to create a harmonious balance between different domains of life and enables individuals to lead fulfilling and meaningful life. The first Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) is to ―ensure that all human beings can fulfill their potential in dignity and equality‖.Protecting, promoting, and supporting early childhood development is essential to enable everyone to reach their full human potential. Sustainability in early childhood suggests a way of thinking and being towards our environment. Exploring and interacting with natural environment allows students to gain a better understanding of it. In this paper authors will highlight how roles of Aanganwadies and Preschools contribute in holistic and sustainable development of preschoolers. Case studies were conducted on five Anganwadies from rural areas and five Kindergarten from urban areas of Yamuna Nagar district of Haryana state. Health, nutrition, nurturance, hygiene, sanitation, safe water, early learning opportunities, social protection and child protection services promote young children‘s development through multi-sectoral approach. The last two to three decades have seen great improvements in child survival. According to James J. Heckman, a noble laureate in economics (2022) Heckman Curve proved that investing in childhood skills brings high returns to society. Early childhood development is a smart investment. Young children need help to reach their potentialand develop their physical, cognitive, emotional, and social capacities. Investing in early childhood development will benefit them and society as a whole.