CCT for kindergarten and school programs – opportunities and limits

1. CCT for kindergarten and school programs – opportunities and limits Maria Herczog TÁRKI – World Bank workshop 7 May 2010. Hotel Novotel, Budapest

2. CCT in Hungary • Incentive, support or punishment? • Politics and/or social policy? • Independent program or part of a complex strategy? • Planned, structured or ad hoc? • Monitored, evaluated? • Conclusions and outcomes

3. School allowance The restructuring of universal family allowance to school allowance • Aim: regular school attendance of truant, drop out children • Tool: referral to child welfare services, intervention by them – family case work • Sanction: limited use of half of the family allowance, invoice on spending

4. School allowance • Unprepared introduction • Lack of consultation, negotiation with stakeholders • Lack of preparation of families, administration, schools, child welfare services • No budget allocated for growing spenditure on administration, postage (1.5 million letters of information and responds), care work • Undisclosed conflicts of interests – schools, referral and co-operation culture, lack of protocolls and procedures, misuse of the limited apacity of service providers, lack of accountability of the institutions at all levels and stages • No systematic evaluation on the synergies of the components(reasons of truancy and drop out, segregation and discrimination at schools, interst of the schools in non attendance, the motivation to study and regular school attendance, parents’ perception and skills, etc.

5. Kindergarten attendance allowance • Aim: prevention of delays, support school readiness, enabling parents’ labour market participation • Tool: starting early, at age 3 for children from families with multiple disadvantages • Condition: enrollment and regular, full time attendance

6. Kindergarten attendance allowance • Introduction without preparation: No information, preparation, awareness raising for: • Families attached • Local authorities, assemblies • Professionals and staff working in day care and with families • Parents of already enrolled children and those on waiting lists • Public - media

7. Kindergarten attendance allowance Outcomes so far: • Lack of information and knowledge on the aims and procedure • Anger and prejudice with those eligible for the support (e.g. professionals’ websites) • Overcrowded centers and fear from lack of placement – working parents’ children not accepted • Preference of in kind support – is the implementation appropriate? • Children attend kindergarten even if ill - not to loose the allowance – the condition fulfilled?! • Involvment and partnership with parents, development of parenting skills – not part of the program

8. Achievement of the aim of CCT In itself CCT can not fulfill the initial aims and can not help decreasing poverty, increase motivation, quality of life only if it is part of a complex, well-designed and carefully monitored, evaluated program. Preparation, strategic planning and proper implementation is essential

9. Thank you for your attentionMaria Herczogherczog@mail.datanet.hu