Plano Municipal pela Primeira Infância: avanços e desafios na prática social

Abstract

The present work consists of the study of the implementation of the Municipal Plan for Early Childhood (PMPI) in two municipalities of Rio Grande do Sul. Its objective is to analyze the process of PMPI implementation, its progress, and challenges within the public policy agenda in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. The Municipal Plan for Early Childhood is developed through a democratic and participatory process, with the involvement of various municipal administration departments and public bodies, the legislative and judicial branches, and civil society. The research was articulated with the child in mind as a holistic individual, respecting and including them in the municipality as a citizen. It analyzes the Legal Framework for Early Childhood, which recommends the development of the Municipal Plan for Early Childhood. The plan's central objective is to address the coordination between public administration sectors, built in a participatory and democratic manner. The methodology used involves qualitative research, with semi-structured interviews with the managers of the Municipal Departments of Education and Health from two municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul. The interviews were recorded using a smartphone application and transcribed. To analyze the collected data, Bardin’s (2016) Content Analysis was employed. After analyzing the data, this study revealed that much progress is still needed in the PMPI implementation process. It concludes that, in addition to intersectoral work, effective changes in public policies for early childhood are required. Significant progress has been observed, such as the recognition of the importance of early childhood, investment in professional training, and the expansion of access to early childhood education. However, important challenges remain, such as inadequate funding, coordination between public policies, and monitoring and evaluation. Finally, the work includes a Final Product from an intervention perspective. For this, an e-book was organized with indicators of democratic experiences and how they can contribute to the dissemination and implementation of the Municipal Plan for Early Childhood.