ECDAN

Global Initiative To Support Parents

On June 28th, 2021, a coalition of partners launched a Call to Action urging for increased investment and scale-up of evidence-based initiatives to support caregivers. These partners, which include UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), Partnership for Lifelong Health (PLH), the Early Childhood Development Action Network (ECDAN), and the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children, are urging organizations of all types to take part in this call, including governments, global partnerships, multi- and bi-lateral agencies, political bodies, funders, international non-governmental organizations, faith-based organizations, the business sector, academia, civil society organizations, networks, and advocates.
 
Why now?
 
With the spread of COVID-19, parents and caregivers are experiencing unprecedented challenges, with children at great risk of not reaching their full potential. Now, more than ever, parents and caregivers have a pivotal role to play at the front lines of protecting their children from stress and promoting their development, health, and well-being. The pandemic has brought to the forefront the critical role of parenting, as well as the tremendous influence the home environment has on children’s lives.
 
The evidence is clear: parents and the environment at home are central pillars in supporting children’s health and development. The quality of parenting practices is a key determinant of every child’s ability to develop their cognitive, emotional, and social potential and resilience against adversity.
 
What can we do? 
 
Before COVID-19, at least 250 million young children were already at risk of not reaching their full potential. Now, UNICEF estimates that more than one billion children are facing that risk due to the increased isolation from school closures, the financial hardship of families, and the disruption of child protection, health, education, and other services because of the pandemic. The cost of inaction in support of parents will have long-term impacts on future human capital – and because of that
we must act now.

This unprecedented global crisis calls for an agile, coordinated, and unified global effort on behalf of ALL  parents and caregivers, especially the most vulnerable. We must work collectively to innovate, scale-up, generate evidence, and advocate for initiatives that support parents and caregivers.  Join us and grow the global movement in support of parents to secure a more resilient and promising future.

Collective Action Goals:

  1. Protect children and adolescents, and support families to cope with the multiple stressors, including those resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
     
  2. Enable parents to nurture their children’s development across the life course, in the context of reduced child-related services and increased parental responsibilities.
     
  3. Build the foundation for mainstreaming the uptake and implementation of evidence-based parent and caregiver support initiatives in all countries.

Organizations

Who have Joined the Call:
(Updated frequently)

Individuals

Who have Joined the Call:
(Updated frequently)
Jamie Lachman
Senior Research Officer
Department of Global Health and Population
University of Oxford

Akira Shibanuma
Lecturer
The University of Tokyo

Yin Minn Latt
Country Representative
Terre des hommes Italia

Ramadhan Kirunda
Research and Technical Advisor
Impact and Innovations Development Centre

Angel Belle Dy
Physician
The Growing Brain PH

Alessandra Prioreschi
Researcher
The University of the Witwatersrand

Cassia Carvalho
Country Engagement Officer
End Violence

Carmen Paterson-Payne
Provincial Coordinator
Nobody’s Perfect Manitoba- Youville Centre

Dayana Joosapillai
Excellency Executive
Sharjah Child

Hong Huay Lim
Board Chair
CaringSG Ltd

Fiona Burtt
Senior Technical Advisor
Mothers2Mothers

Ilona Tamutiene
Professor
Vytautas Magnus University

Enkhtuya Sukhbaatar
Head
Tom Ah Egch

Mirza Adil Beig
District Project Assistant Capacity Building 
Aga Khan Foundation

Waziri Mapunda
Senior Program Manager, ECD
BRAC Enterprises Tanzania Limited

Melek Er
ECD Director
Atılım University

Sofia Rebehy
Early Childhood Program Coordinator
United Way Brasil

Nelly Zahiri
Psychologist
Mom Talk

Pam Picken
Early Years Specialist
Do More Foundation 

Mapaseka Mphahama
Social Worker
Society for Women and AIDS in Africa, Lesotho

Adelaida Gomez
Gestora Regional 
Red PaPaz

Erika Jooste
Senior Programme Manager
HWSA

Preetu Mishra
Nutrition Specialist
UNICEF

Antonio Felix Jeronimo
Country Representative
Regional Psychosocial Support Initiative- Angola

Shubaya Naggayi
Psychologist, Research Associate
NAJUA Initiative

Kelvin Lubeya Ngoma
Country Director 
REPSSI Zambia

Makananelo Makape
Acting Country Director 
REPSSI South Africa

Byamukama Michael Ntanda
Country Representative
REPSSI Uganda

Cadhla O’Sullivan
PhD Candidate & Researcher
Queens University Belfast

Sashmi Moodley
Front-line Practicioner
University of Cape Town, Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital

Martin Diarra
Education Manager
World Vision


Ellie Taylor
Project Officer
Early Start, University of Wollongong

Stella Gitia 
Technical Officer
LCVT Health

Yaya Togo
PhD Student, Researcher
INSP & DERSP/FMOS

Veda Corriette George
Early Childhood Coordinator
Ministry of Education, Human Resource Planning, Vocational Training and National Excellence 

Anjoo Bhatnagar
Pediatrician in charge of ECD and ECE
Saran Ashram Hospital Dayalbagh Agra India

Sinisa Baljo
National Programme Development Director
SOS Children’s Villages Bosnia and Herzegovina 

Bianca Abeygoonawar
Child Development & Child Protection Expert
Freelance Service

Eve Sullivan
Founder & Director
Parents Forum

Marta Figueiredo 
OTR/L, PGDip, EI/SI, NBCT, SMS, Prof. Doc.
LifePrint- Terapia Ocupacional Pediatrica Especializada

Almaz Ismayil
Independent Consultant

Vuyiswa Ncontsa
CEO
BRIDGE Innovation in Learning

Mary Aguadera
MD
NCH

Mable Sichali
Community Development and Social Justice Secretary
The United Church of Zambia

Sabilah Eboo Alwani
Doctoral Researcher
University of Cambridge 

Nurper Ulkue
Professor
Uskudar University

Asma Hidri
ECD Director
Ministry of Childhood

Sylvia Mwangi
Education Practitioner
Tushiya Consult

Yulia Shenderovich
Senior Lecturer
University of Cardiff

Rupjyoti Konwwar
Senior Academic Coordinator
Vikramshila Education Resource Society

Marietta Valencia-Valle
Business Development Specialist
ChildFund International 

Aisha Yousafzai
Associate Professor of Global Health
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Mohammad Shariful Alam
Project Manager 
Educo Bangladesh

Viviana Quintero
Psychologist
Independent Consultant

Subodh Gupta
Professor & Head (Community Medicine)
Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences 

Cecil Arcadio
ECD Officer
UNICEF

Relindis Yovsi
ECD Coordinator
UNICEF Zambia

Ksenija Krstic
Associate Professor 
University of Belgrade, Department of Philosophy

Laura Altobelli
Principal Professor 
Cayetano Heredia University 

Catherine Capio
Assistant Professor
Education University of Hong Kong

Ayçin Köycekaş
Academic
Ankara University

Bushra Kaddoura
ECED Expert, Researcher, and SDGs Strategist
Arab Resource Collective 

Mohsin Mohammad
ECD Specialist
UNICEF