EARLY CHILDHOOD IN MARÉ: CARE, WELL-BEING, AND POLICY ADVOCACY

PROJECT

Through the project “Early Childhood in Maré: Access to Rights and Care Practices”, Redes da Maré carried out, in 2023, the Diagnosis of Early Childhood in Maré, an unprecedented household survey with territorial coverage on the subject in favelas across the state of Rio de Janeiro. In 2024, this process culminated in the launch of the Participatory Plan for Early Childhood in Maré, the result of collaboration with families, local networks, and public managers, establishing guidelines for integrated interventions in health, education, care, culture, and leisure. The diagnosis revealed profound structural inequalities, such as low daycare coverage, barriers to healthcare access, exposure to violence, and the burden of care falling disproportionately on women and Black families in the territory.

Based on this trajectory and within the framework of the Participatory Plan, a new phase of Early Childhood in Maré began in 2025 under the Education Axis, adopting the new name “Maré Early Childhood: Care, Well-Being, and Policy Advocacy.”

Developed in partnership with the Van Leer Foundation and Descobrir Brincando, the project combines evidence production, community action, and policy advocacy, contributing to the strengthening of rights, community leadership, and care practices, with the objective of promoting the well-being and holistic development of young children in Maré.

METHODOLOGY

The project is structured around three strategic and interconnected pillars that combine care initiatives, child development, community strengthening, and policy advocacy to promote early childhood rights in Maré.

Pillar 1 – Baby Libraries (Fixed and Mobile)

Community spaces for care and child development, designed as territorial infrastructure to promote early childhood development.

Weekly reading, play, and social interaction activities;
Facilitation by residents of the territory;
Stimulation of socio-emotional and cognitive development;
Strengthening of bonds among children, families, and the community.

Purpose: To guarantee the right to play as a foundational element of child development, especially in contexts marked by urban inequality.

Pillar 2 – Caring for Caregivers

Monthly meetings with families and caregivers;
Active listening and psychosocial support;
Training on parenting, rights, access to public policies, and protection networks;
Referrals to service networks.

Purpose: To strengthen family capacities, support networks, and care conditions, recognizing care as a central element of child development.

Pillar 3 – Advocacy and Evidence Production

Ongoing systematization of territorial data;
Participation in councils, forums, and networks;
Production of technical reports;
Collaboration with public policies.

Purpose: To transform evidence produced within the territory into qualified policy advocacy, contributing to the improvement of public policies focused on early childhood.

INTEGRATED ACTION IN THE TERRITORY

The initiative develops intersectional actions across different divisions and sectors of Maré, including the Health Axis, the Art, Culture, Memories, and Identities Axis, and the Policy Advocacy Sector. This collaboration expands its capacity for integrated action, strengthens community networks, and enhances the impact generated within the territory.

POLICY ADVOCACY AND RIGHTS DEFENSE

The project works to transform data on early childhood into effective public policies, recognizing that child development depends on territorial conditions and the social protection network.

Its actions strengthen community mobilization and policy advocacy, expand access to information, and promote dialogue with families, encouraging access to rights.

The initiative also participates in social oversight spaces, bringing the demands of Maré families into public debate. Among these is the Rio de Janeiro Municipal Council for the Rights of Children and Adolescents (CMDCA-Rio), where it actively contributes to the formulation and improvement of policies focused on early childhood.

BABY LIBRARIES: SPACES FOR PLAY, DEVELOPMENT, AND CONNECTION

The project currently operates two Baby Libraries. The LAB Baby Library, in a mobile format, was designed to circulate throughout Maré, occupying public spaces and institutions that serve young children.

Transported in a large box, its structure allows reading and play environments to be set up in different locations, expanding access for children and families to reading, care, and social interaction practices across the territory.

The fixed Baby Library, located at the Lima Barreto Popular Library, provides a permanent space dedicated to reading, play, and relationship-building, contributing to the holistic development of children in Maré.

TEAM

Coordination: Tábata Lugão and Aline Regina Alves de Sousa

Facilitators: Jokciene de Souza Frazão Rodrigues and Luana Cristina Siqueira de Andrade

The team is composed of professionals with strong ties to the territory, reinforcing the community-based dimension, trust, and sustainability of the initiatives developed.