Join this informative webinar with Dr. Emily Gustafsson-Wright of the Brookings Institution to explore how the Childhood Cost Calculator (C3) can unlock more and better Early Childhood Care and Education financing by supporting implementers and policymakers to collect and analyse critically needed cost data
CALL FOR EXPRESIONS OF INTEREST: Support for Early Childhood Development Advocacy Efforts
The Africa Early Childhood Network (AfECN) is dedicated to advancing early childhood development by empowering grassroots organizations, advocacy groups, and community-led networks to strengthen their advocacy efforts. This approach recognizes that sustainable change is most effective when driven by local actors who understand community needs, can mobilize support from the ground up, and hold decision-makers accountable to policies and investments that prioritize the wellbeing of young children.
As part of our commitment to strengthening advocacy for young children across Africa, we invite expressions of interest that align with the following thematic areas. Selected initiatives will contribute to evidence generation, capacity building, and policy influence in support of early childhood development (ECD):
Maternal Mental Wellbeing: The focus here is on initiatives that promote maternal mental health as a key advocacy issue—particularly during pregnancy and the early parenting period. This includes innovative models, community-driven programs, or research efforts that can inform policies, raise awareness, and mobilize support for integrating maternal wellbeing into national ECD agendas.
Scalable and Contextual Childcare Models: This area focuses on advocating for accessible, community-based childcare solutions that are adaptable to diverse African contexts. Projects should emphasize quality standards, workforce development, and demonstrate potential for influencing policy and investment in childcare systems.
Translation of Evidence into Policy Action: We seek initiatives that actively work to bridge the gap between research, programmatic learning, and policy influence in early childhood development. This includes efforts to package data and evidence into advocacy tools, develop policy briefs, organize evidence-sharing dialogues, and engage stakeholders in decision-making processes. Proposals should demonstrate how evidence is being used to influence policies, shift narratives, or inform strategic investments in ECD at local, national, or regional levels.
Strengthening Grassroots Networks for ECD Advocacy: We aim to support the growth and coordination of grassroots and community-led ECD networks that are actively engaged in advocacy. Expressions of interest should highlight efforts to build local capacity, foster collective action, and promote locally driven influence on national and regional ECD decision-making processes.
Proposal structure
The application should be a maximum of 5 pages containing the following components:
Description of the organization (Name, area of operation, contact person, type of organization and website or social media)
The definition and justification of the problem to be addressed including the community affected, the country and the geography of intended intervention.
The key objectives and expected outcomes
A detailed implementation plan including proposed activities, timelines and dissemination plans.
Organizational capacity and partnerships; briefly describe your experience in advocacy and/or ECD, and any existing partnerships relevant to the initiative.
A budget up to a maximum of USD 10,000
Eligibility criteria
These funds are intended for supporting grassroots advocacy efforts to raise awareness and looking to make a difference young child development in the Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Senegal, Ghana and Nigeria
Applicants must be networks or advocacy groups, grassroots organizations, professional associations, registered women’s groups, or coalitions of ECD actors with demonstrable experience in the thematic areas outlined above.
Proven working experience in community-based interventions or promotion/outreach activities and/or other relevant activities related to early childhood development.
Evidence of strong partnership with local communities, local authorities and/or government agencies in previous activities
Be registered with a clear governance structure.
Have a secretariat that runs the day-to-day affairs.
Be based in either Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Senegal, Ghana and Nigeria
Duration of the Award
The tenure of the seed grant will be for a duration of one year
Application Process
Send in your application with the subject line: “Advocacy Seed Grant 2025” by 1st September 2025 to the following email: seedgrants@afecn.org
You will be required to attach the following documents:
Cover letter stating how the grant aligns with your strategic plan and motivation for application.
Project proposal of not more than 5 pages including a detailed time and workplan.
Fill out and attach Appendix 1
Master of Early Child Development (MECD)
📣 Opportunity Alert for ECD Professionals!
Early Child Development (ECD) is a critically important field, with investment in ECD recognized as both a moral imperative and a strategic pathway towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Addressing the need for building human resource capacity, Aga Khan University – Human Development Programme (AKU-HDP) is offering a graduate program in ECD designed to equip professionals with a comprehensive range of integrated knowledge and skills to enhance their practices. The MECD program will prepare students through a multidisciplinary, blended approach encompassing education, service, and research. By creating an advanced knowledge base, the program aims to strengthen human resource capacity and promote increased investment in ECD.
2025: Africa conference on childcare
The African Union Commission (AUC) in collaboration with the African Early Childhood Network (AfECN) is co- convening the Continental Childcare Conference , to be held in Addis Ababa 18th -20th June 2025, under the theme Building Partnerships for Accelerating Action towards Quality & Inclusive Childcare in Africa.
First meeting of Early Childhood Development (ECD) experts in the East African Community (EAC)
The EAC recognizes Early Childhood Development as a critical foundation for human capital development, economic growth, and social equity, aligning with Article 120(c) of the EAC Treaty and the EAC Child Policy (2016). Despite progress, many children under five in the region lack access to quality ECD services. This meeting aimed to consolidate regional efforts, address cross-cutting challenges, harmonize guidelines and validate strategic priorities towards a comprehensive Regional ECD Policy and Action plan, building global commitments like the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 4.2) and the Nurturing Care Framework.
ECSA-HC responsive caregiving experts’ committee meeting 2025 and learning visit in Zambia
Following a successful 2024 experts meeting held in the sidelines of the East Africa ECD Conference March 2024 in Dar-es-Salaam Tanzania. Among other activities it was proposed by members to consider having some cross-country learning as part of the activities of the experts’ committee. We identified Zambia to share lessons of their community based ECD program Insaka, based on the presentation done during the Health Ministers conference in June 2024 and was further presented at the virtual quarterly meeting in October 2024. Such best practices are aimed to improve outcomes for the region’s children by supporting the effort on the implementation of the Nurturing Care Framework, particularly the responsive caregiving component across the east, central and southern Africa region.
Blog: Tackling learning poverty in Africa: building collaborative partnerships to scale-up early learning assessments in west and central Africa region.
Author: KIX Early Learning Assessment Project Coordination Team
Institution: Africa Early Childhood Network
Access to inclusive and equitable quality education is key to promoting better human capital outcomes, as it leads to accumulation of knowledge and skills needed for socio-economic development of a country. Indeed, when children access quality education measured by better learning outcomes, it builds their capacities in ways that not only contributes to their personal success but also leads to better social wellbeing and productivity. The need for quality education for all children is acknowledged in global and regional frameworks including Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), and Africa Agenda 2063. For example, while SDG 4 recognizes the need to provide quality education for all with as special focus on most vulnerable populations, Agenda 2063[1] identifies provision of quality education focused on achieving 100% literacy and numeracy as a key driver to Africa’s prosperity. The agenda calls for universal access to quality early childhood, primary and secondary education, ensuring that no child is left behind, and that the potential of every child is nurtured (Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want).[2]
[1] A blueprint and master plan for transforming Africa into the global powerhouse of the future.
[2] https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=Agenda+2063
Launch of the compendium of African initiatives to support parents & caregivers of adolescents and young children.
The compendium of African initiatives to support parents and caregivers has a lot to offer for policy and decision-makers, as well as development partners, civil society organisations and implementing organisations.
JOB OPPORTUNITY: RESEARCH, MONITORING EVALUATION AND LEARNING MANAGER
As AfECN continues to expand its impact, effective monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of its projects and initiatives it is critical in assessing progress, understanding outcomes, and ensuring that evidence is used to shape policies and practices.
Purpose of the Role: The Research Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Manager will play a key role in supporting this goal by designing, implementing, and managing a robust M&E framework that tracks the effectiveness of AfECN’s initiatives and guides organizational learning.
Welcome to the PATH Early Childhood Development Knowledge Hub
From 2012 to 2024, PATH and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation partnered to support the Ministries of Health in Mozambique and Kenya to design and pilot health system interventions that promote optimal development for the youngest children.
Along that journey other partners and donors joined this endeavour, and Mozambique and Kenya became learning hubs for promoting early childhood development in the health sector. Ethiopia, Zambia, Tanzania, Ivory Coast, and Malawi have subsequently adapted materials and approaches tried and tested in Mozambique and Kenya to their context.