This retrospective provides a historical account on the Consultative Group for Early Childhood Care and Development that operated from 1984-2014 and helped to elevate early childhood on the global stage and paved the way for ECDAN's founding.

UNICEF’s 2026 report reveals how climate risks disproportionately affect vulnerable children, threatening their rights, health, and wellbeing.

World Bank review highlights rapid growth in childcare investments and their benefits for families and economies.

Results for Development developed a toolkit that equips health sector decision-makers to identify where and how to strengthen primary health care in support of young children’s optimal development.

Global data reveals major gaps in children’s access to play, calling for stronger support to help families make play part of daily life.

By Lola Ayanda,  Charlotte Davidi and  Katie Murphy, Moving Minds Alliance   June 3, 2026 – In the outskirts of Maiduguri, in northeast Nigeria, Falmata Mohammed keeps her family going one day at a time. Displaced by conflict in Borno State, she and her husband, Mohammed, […]

The Partnership for a Lead-Free Future produced a framework that provides a shared direction to drive collective action, align existing efforts, clarify roles and expectations, and create a common reference for partners.

May 26, 2026 – ECDAN sent out its quarterly newsletter with news highlights, resources, upcoming events, and more.

A new article explores why women’s economic empowerment cannot be achieved through individual resilience alone. Drawing on experiences from urban markets across Africa, the piece highlights how women traders continue to balance income generation with unpaid caregiving responsibilities—often without adequate support systems. It argues that investing in care infrastructure, including accessible childcare in market spaces, is essential for advancing gender equality, strengthening livelihoods, and supporting children’s development. Featuring examples from South Africa and Rwanda, the article calls for a shift from empowerment rhetoric toward systemic solutions that enable women and families to thrive.

Government representatives from sectoral ministries and ministries of finance joined philanthropists, program implementers, finance experts, and advocates from countries across five continents in Kigali for Investing in the Early Years: A Global Technical Financing Forum. The Forum took place over three days, May 6-8, and included presentations and workshop sessions led by global leaders and experts committed to advancing sustainable financing for early childhood development (ECD).

UNICEF and partners published a brief that presents findings from a global mapping of parenting programs that aim to prevent violence against children and against women while advancing gender equality. It offers practical guidance for policymakers, program designers, and implementers.

UNICEF and the Van Leer Foundation’s new Playbook on Digital Innovation for Supporting Families offers a roadmap for governments to build equitable, human-centered digital ecosystems. By focusing on four key pillars—trusted information, skill-building, community, and service access—this multisectoral framework ensures that digital tools strengthen the vital systems of health, education, and protection that families rely on every day.

April 23, 2026 – The Act For Early Years campaign offers a clear message. Investing in young children is not a cost to be deferred. It is one of the most reliable returns available to any government. This guide sets […]

ECDAN circulated an annual survey to its individual members and followers in January 2026 to collect feedback on its effectiveness and progress towards its strategic goals. The results and input provide useful information to guide the network’s planning for the year ahead and beyond.

ECDAN produced a report to share information about the 349 organizations that made up the network at the end of the 2025.