2022 Elections

In 2022, the Fundação Maria Cecilia Souto Vidigal started more closely examining the candidates for the governments in six states, since it felt they formed part of the wider public system which should be working on Early Childhood policies. The federal, state and municipal governments should work together to ensure implementation of Early Childhood policies throughout the country.

The interaction with the priority groups in terms of strengthening the commitment of future administrators to the implementation of Early Childhood actions focused on three different but complementary subjects that have the power to immediately transform the lives of the children and families who benefit and, in the medium and longterms, to drive the development of the country:

1) Expansion of quality early childhood education;

2) Expansion/implementation of parenting programs; direct effects on the project

3) Cash transfer focused on mothers in vulnerable situations with children aged between 0 and 6, and their prioritization in economic development policies.

The Foundation prioritized the states of Ceará, Maranhão, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Roraima and São Paulo to operate during the 2022 election period, using Early Childhood criteria: Socioeconomic - the different number of children in the Early Childhood age category and in vulnerable situations, rate of access to daycare and pre-school, and children who are underweight at birth; and Political - state-municipal collaboration maturity, prior favorable relations, female leadership, amongst others.

In total, nine agendas were implemented with seven being in-person, in which not only the 14 leading candidates were involved, but also the other candidates. Materials were sent out containing the Foundation’s three recommendations on the transfer of income to families with children of early childhood age, infant education and home visits.

The Foundation also monitored the issues discussed by the candidates on social media, and in debates and question and answer sessions, observing the advances in their Early Childhood agendas during the electoral campaigns.

As well as mantaining direct contact with the state government candidates, the Foundation also formed part of coalitions, such as “Agenda 227” and “Educação Já”, within ‘Todos pela Educação’ (page 46) and supported the creation of publications for distribution in the federal and state spheres.

The Foundation also collaborated in the creation of the document of incidence developed by the ‘Frente Paulista de Educação’ (‘São Paulo Education Front’) as a benchmark on structural measures for basic education in São Paulo, presented to the leading candidates for government of the state of São Paulo, and the ‘Early Childhood Issues Guide in the 2022 Elections’, developed by the ‘Rede de Ação Política pela Sustentabilidade’ (‘Political Action for Sustainability Network’ / ‘RAPS’), produced in partnership with the Alana Institute.

Political incidence and advocacy

Over the course of 2022, the Fundação Maria Cecilia Souto Vidigal took a central part in debates, mobilizations and liaisons together with organizations engaged in the most critical issues affecting Brazilian children. This involved crucial work focusing on the political agenda and ensuring that the agenda on Early Childhood moved forward.

The Foundation worked on numerous issues that were discussed in the Brazilian Congress, including: regulation of Fundeb and the ‘Criança Feliz’ program; placing restraints on the advance of home schooling; the institution of the National Education System (‘SNE’); and defense of the fundamental right to access daycare.

Furthermore, the foundation also provided expert support for members of the government forming part of the ‘Frente Parlamentar Mista da Primeira Infância’ (‘Joint Parliamentary Group on Early Childhood’ / ‘FPPI’) and the ‘Frente Parlamentar Mista de Educação’ (‘Joint Parliamentary Group on Education’ / ‘FPME’), assisting in the production of legislation and the use of scientific evidence to construct policies focused on children and Early Childhood.

The discussion was also taken to the Judicial Branch, in the form of seminars which elaborated on the debate over the issue, aiming to understand the ways in which this level of power contributes to Early Childhood.

Advocacy in 2022

1) Home schooling (PL 3179/12): The Foundation continued with the work for the rejection of the Bill of Law, working in partnership with ‘Todos pela Educação (‘All for Education’) and the Alana Institute in the Brazilian Congress. Also worthy of note was the dialogue that was conducted with the Liberta Institute, which provided studies, analyses and statistics related to the current situation of domestic violence against children in Brazil, and the lack of reporting of these cases when the child does not attend a regular teaching environment.

2) Fundeb: In a strategy shared with our partners, the Foundation worked on developing a study that analyzes the real costs of each stage in Basic Education. In addition to this, it also provided support for the creation of a simulator that highlights the under-financing of early childhood Education, including a presentation of scenarios to the 2023 National Congress, with the aim of ensuring that greater sums are invested in one of the costliest stages of education.

3) Identification of the demand for daycare (Bill of Law 2,228/2020) - With technical support and liaisons with the Foundation, this Bill was approved by the House of Representatives and the Federal Senate, but with conditions relating to the provision of federal funds which could harm a lot of children. The Bill creates tools for research and dissemination concerning the demand for places in daycare in the municipal teaching systems aimed at subsidizing the administrators in the strategies designed to increase the number of places available for all families.

4) Requirement of municipalities to offer daycare (RE 1008.166) - The Foundation contributed to the defense of the right to Infant Education in the Federal Supreme

Court (STF), endorsing the stance that it is the constitutional duty of the State to guarantee that children have the right to daycare and pre-school.

5) Programa Criança Feliz (PL 876/2021) -

Over the course of 2022, the Foundation worked to achieve approval of the Bill that includes the Programa Criança Feliz’ (‘Happy Child Program’) in the Social Welfare Law, providing expert assessment and impact evaluation on the Program. The article was approved by three of the four designated commissions in the House of Representatives. (Read more on page 34 )

6) National Education System (Complimentary Bill of Law 235/2019) -

Using a coalition strategy, the Foundation worked towards approval of the National Education System (‘SNE’) before the Federal Senate. With its official implementation, as well as putting the constitutional order for the creation of a Collaboration System for education into practice, this will improve the levels of governance between the federal entities, ensuring that there exists continuity and evolution in education, and support for children in their school life.