Social Protection
Around the world, millions of young children need protection from violence, abuse and neglect. Threats to child protection are particularly high in vulnerable populations, including those suffering from displacement, marginalisation or poverty. The long-term impacts of toxic stress are transferred down generations, which means interventions can be needed to break that cycle.
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The measures outlined in this section should be accompanied with social protection policies to help the most vulnerable families. Cash transfer programmes, for example, can help to meet families' nutritional, health and educational needs, while bringing in additional services like parent coaching. Globally, two out of three children are not covered by any form of social protection.54
Photo: Courtesy of Ministério da Cidadania, Brazil
Babies and toddlers’ growing brains are shaped by experiences – whether good or bad. Adverse early experiences like abuse and neglect can cause “toxic stress,” which disrupts the brain’s architecture and increases the likelihood of developmental delays and health problems.53
