A Reference Framework for Childhood and Adolescence in Latin America and the Caribbean

Abstract

Close to half of all children and teenagers in Latin America and the Caribbean live in poverty and have a high chance of falling behind in their socio-emotional and cognitive development. While most countries in the region have policies and action plans for children and adolescents, these are highly heterogeneous in their design, depth and reach. Based on the examination of current policies in six countries in the region, a reference framework is proposed to build policies targeted to guarantee the well-being of people between 0 and 18 years old, based on the Convention on the Rights of the Child in the sustainable development goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda. The main guidelines proposed focus on the life path of each child, an intersectorial perspective, territorial implementation and the establishment of a monitoring mechanism and long-term assessment.