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Kenyan children at an early childhood development programme in Kibera, Nairobi in March Picture: Adriane Ohanesian

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Governments and donors must do more to tackle a childcare crisis that threatens the development and education of millions of children around the world.

Affordable and quality childcare is difficult to find in the poorest and most underserved communities, according to a briefing today by the children�鶹APP�s charity .

That lack of help leads to significant effects on children, parents, communities and even country economies, says the report. It can also seriously impact the educational propects of children.

Released on the annual��Global Day of Parents, examines the links between childcare and early childhood development.

It says: �鶹APP�High-quality childcare supports healthy early childhood development and can improve school readiness and learning outcomes, while simultaneously freeing adults to work and older children to attend school.�鶹APP�

The brief adds: �鶹APP�Children who receive quality cognitive stimulation at a very young age are likely to do better in school and have greater opportunities for success.�鶹APP�

�鶹APP �鶹APP� the charity behind A World at School �鶹APP� says government, donors and advocates must do more to support access to high-quality childcare.

The��burden of childcare in developing countries falls mainly on women �鶹APP� even though many are also working. Half of the world�鶹APP�s women age 15 and over �鶹APP� and 72% of women in low-income countries �鶹APP� are currently in the labour force,

Many families cope by relying on grandparents (up to 75% of African households) or siblings to do the childcare. Other methods are leaving children unsupervised ot turning to domestic workers or organised childcare.

The briefing says: �鶹APP�The presence of grandparents can improve school outcomes for children, especially girls, as they take over domestic and childcare responsibilities that would otherwise keep children out of school.�鶹APP� However, many grandparents cannot afford school fees and child care, which pushes them further into poverty.

In parts of Ethiopia, more than half of rural girls aged five to eight provide unpaid childcare every day.

The report, which makes five key recommendations, says: �鶹APP�This situation also limits opportunities for the older children to go to school and diminishes their future opportunities, trapping families in poverty.�鶹APP�

In , Research Consultant Molly Curtiss writes: �鶹APP�Sometimes older siblings are pulled out of school to care for younger brothers or sisters, cutting their education and their future prospects short..

�鶹APP�High-quality childcare supports healthy physical, mental, and emotional development in the first years of life and helps prepare young children for success in school �鶹APP� but low-quality care can do serious, long-lasting harm to a child�鶹APP�s growth and development.�鶹APP�