This puts them at a disadvantage when they start school, it also prevents their mothers from working and helping their families out of poverty. The most effective measure that Costa Rica can take to halt rising inequality and give every child a fair chance to succeed in learning and life is to prioritise the expansion of quality ECEC, focusing on the most disadvantaged populations. In 2014, the government established the National Network for Childcare and Development {Red Nacional de Cuido y Desarrollo Infantil, REDCUDI) to improve co-ordination between different public and private providers. The new policy framework to guide the development of services for children aged 0 to 8 represents the first attempt to provide a truly comprehensive, rights-based approach to ECEC in Costa Rica.