The African Early Childhood Network

23/12/2025

The African Early Childhood Network extends its sincere gratitude to you for your steadfast commitment to advancing the rights, protection, and well-being of young children throughout 2025. As we conclude another meaningful year, we wish you a joyful holiday season filled with peace, hope, and renewed possibility.
May the coming year bring inspiration, growth, and shared success. We look forward to continuing our impactful collaboration in 2026.
Happy Holidays and a Prosperous New Year.

04/12/2025

🌱 Promoting Nurturing Care Through Stronger Primary Health Care Systems

Governments across regions are coming together to integrate Early Childhood Development (ECD) into Primary Health Care (PHC) a critical step toward ensuring every child receives nurturing care from the very start.

Our latest blog highlights key policy actions, collaboration models, and system-level innovations driving this shift.

🔗 Read the full blog:
https://www.afecn.org/blog/2025/12/3/promoting-nurturing-care-how-governments-are-uniting-to-strengthen-ecd-in-phc-systems

When health officials, civil society representatives and development partners convened in early October for a side event at the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation’s East & Southern Africa Early Childhood Development Partners’ Convening in Nairobi, there was a singular shared goal on everyone’s mi

04/12/2025

🌍 Strengthening Primary Health Care to Promote Early Childhood Development

Access to quality primary health care is foundational not just for treating illness, but for nurturing lifelong development. This blog explores how robust PHC systems can support early childhood growth and wellbeing, and why it matters for policymakers, health professionals, and communities.

🔗 Read here: https://www.afecn.org/blog/2025/12/3/strengthening-primary-health-care-to-promote-early-childhood-development

During the first 1,000 days, young children and caregivers have a myriad of touchpoints within the health system. Leveraging these moments to promote nurturing care interventions that are not consistently emphasized in primary health care (PHC) — such as responsive caregiving, safety and security,...

01/12/2025

Greetings,
We’ve reached the end of the STEP Academy series!
We invite all STEP Academy participants to complete the feedback survey.
Your insights will help shape future cohorts, and the same form allows you to enter your details for your participation certificate.
Acess the survey via the link below: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=qyQVFlNPAEOklNzbrrjobGJCke22NgVJsL12wn9Mes5UOEQ5MUlIOTRWVlZJRDNSMk84MTNPQ05RUi4u&route=shorturl

01/12/2025

The African Early Childhood Network Statement during :

📽️Watch the proceedings LIVE🔴 on 🌐🔗https://youtube.com/live/OLtOgX_0H7o?feature=share

26/11/2025

A powerful, data-driven resource tracking progress in health, nutrition, early learning & safety for young children across Africa.

Download the report now to explore the data (https://www.afecn.org/s/Country-Profiles.pdf ) and join the movement to invest early in Africa's future.https://carmmaplus.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Summary-Report-CPHIA-Session-on-Early-Childhood-Development-and-Country-Profiles-2.pdf

24/11/2025

The Science Translation, Engagement, and Policy (STEP) Academy for Emerging and Early-career Researchers

🗓 Dates: 11th – 27th November 2025
📅 Days: Every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday
⏰ Time: 14:00 – 16:00 EAT
💻 Format: Virtual sessions
🔗 Register now:
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_fK0yyNzVTwycRnNaQY7WpQ #/registration

Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC)

20/11/2025

“When we unite for our children, we unite for our future. Let’s make every child’s earliest years safe, joyful, and full of possibility.”

11/11/2025

📢 Join the East Central and Southern Africa Health Community - ECSA HC and AfECN for the capacity building virtual meeting themed “Child Protection at the Heart of Early Childhood Development.”

🗓️ Today, 11th November 2025
⏰ 15:00 – 16:00 hrs (EAT)
💻 Join via Zoom: https://echo.zoom.us/j/89489251034

10/11/2025

📢Starting tomorrow!
The Science Translation, Engagement, and Policy (STEP) Academy for Emerging and Early-career Researchers

🗓 Dates: 11th – 27th November 2025
📅 Days: Every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday
⏰ Time: 14:00 – 17:00 EAT
💻 Format: Virtual sessions
🔗 Register now: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_fK0yyNzVTwycRnNaQY7WpQ


Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC)

04/11/2025

📢Join the Science Translation, Engagement, and Policy (STEP) Academy for Emerging and Early-career Researchers

AfECN is excited to partner with the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) with support from the Two Lilies Fund, to launch the Science Translation, Engagement, and Policy (STEP) Academy.

This initiative will empower participants with key skills in:
✅ Evidence-informed policymaking
✅ Policy brief writing
✅ Stakeholder mapping
✅ Science communication
✅ Advocacy strategy development

🗓 Dates: 11th – 27th November 2025
📅 Days: Every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday
⏰ Time: 14:00 – 17:00 EAT
💻 Format: Virtual sessions

🔗 Register now: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_fK0yyNzVTwycRnNaQY7WpQ

29/10/2025

The Critical Connection Between Early Childhood Education (ECE) and Foundational Learning (FL)

We’re excited to be part of the , contributing to the discussion “STARTING EARLY: HOW EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION IS CRITICAL TO FOUNDATIONAL LEARNING.” Quality Early Childhood Education (ECE) is the foundation of strong learning outcomes and essential for children’s readiness for school and lifelong success across Africa.

Our representative, Moses Abiero, will share key insights during the plenary session on “The current state and critical importance of ECE in Africa,” exploring access, quality, financing, and progress toward SDG 4.2.
This 60-minute side event is a call to action to ensure every child in Africa enters primary school ready to learn and thrive as we approach the 2030 SDG deadline. The session will highlight evidence-based ECE solutions, including impactful programs from Ghana and Zambia.

Key Outcomes:
✅ Strengthened understanding of the ECE–foundational learning link
✅ Shared practical, evidence-based solutions for the African context
✅ Renewed commitment to prioritize ECE in national policies and budgets

Let’s continue working together to prioritize, finance, and strengthen early learning systems across Africa. 💪🏽