8 22.3 53.1 0.7 3.4 0.6 10 20 Percent of community mothers 30 40 50 60 Figure 1. Distribution of Community Mothers by Home Modality Source: ICBF 2004c. tended a university is insignificant, and only 0.1 percent of community mothers in urban zones have done graduate studies. Community mothers stay involved in the HCB program for various periods of time (see figure 3). Data from 1987 to 2004 show that 50 percent of the mothers joined the program before 1996. The average tenure of mothers is 8.2 years, and the maximum tenure is 17 years. Approximately 74 percent of the community mothers have stayed in the program for almost 4 years. Approximately 15.9 percent of the mothers joined between 1987 and 1989. The largest group of mothers (24.5 percent) joined between 1990 and 1993. Other periods of significant gain were 199497 (18.5 percent) and 200103 (18.7 percent). Only 7.3 percent of the mothers joined the program in 2004. Colombia: Challenges in Country-level Monitoring 13

9 45 4.7 12.2 5.7 8.6 2.9 0.1 18.5 25.5 23.8 25.6 2.6 2.6 0.8 0.6 0.0 1.9 24.4 39.4 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Percent of community mothers Urban Mothers level of schooling (by zones) Incomplete elementary school Technician or technologist without degree Technician or technologist with degree University studies without degree University studies with degree Graduate studies Complete elementary school Incomplete high school Complete high school with diplomas Rural Figure 2. Level of Schooling for Community Mothers by Urban and Rural Zones Source: ICBF 2004c. Issues for the Future The National Registry of Community Mothers study provides important data on which to build. Issues for the future include the following. Effects of Mothers Empowerment on Children. As already noted, the HCB program has had positive effects for community mothersin fostering their empowerment and interest in improving their own education. The implications of these effects for children, which may derive from the impr

Basic Schooling for Mothers. The data on mothers amount of schooling suggest a key direction for working jointly with Colombias

Ministry of Educationto provide basic schooling for community mothers and to achieve the formation of human talent, a goal of early childhood programs and policy. Such collaboration could foster academic leveling, within the formal education system, and training of community mothers in the specific tasks needed for their work. 140 Beatriz Londoo Soto and Tatiana Romero Rey Year of affiliation with HCB 0.0 5.0 7.3 18.7 15.2 18.5 24.5 15.9 10.0 15.0 Percent of community mothers 20.0 25.0 30.0 2004 200103 19982000 199497 199093 198789 Figure 3. Year of Affiliation with the HCB Program by Percent of Community Mothers Source: ICBF 2004c. Seniority and Remuneration. Seniority among the community mothers, as revealed in the study, is also an important issue and should be considered when designing an incentive system for educational and social change agents. Currently, the mothers do special collaborative and solidarity work, receiving one-half of the governments official minimum salary. It is