South Sudan has taken a significant step towards improving the lives of its young children with the launch of the National Early Childhood Development Network. The network aims to strengthen coordination and investment in children from birth to 8 years old, addressing longstanding gaps in coordination, financing, and policy implementation. The launch brought together national and sub-national leaders, including representatives from all 10 states and three administrative areas.
The network seeks to provide a platform for stronger collaboration between government and civil society, improving coordination of Early Childhood Development (ECD) services and planning from the national level to states, counties, and payams. Celine Grace Peter, Director General for Child Welfare at the Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare, highlighted the importance of nurturing children during their early years. She stated that 80 per cent of a child's brain develops between 0 to 5 years old.
The initiative is led by the Science Teachers' Initiative, with Save the Children as co-chair and technical support from the African Early Childhood Network. The process follows a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Science Teachers' Initiative and the Ministry of General Education and Instruction in March 2026. The next phase will focus on strengthening sub-national ECD coordination structures and developing localised approaches.
State and sub-national leaders will support the mapping of ECD actors, coordination of services, and decentralised strategic planning. Otieno Isaac, PDQ Director for Save the Children, emphasised the collective responsibility to make the program essential. He stated that health, nutrition, protection, and learning are inseparable for a young child and that collective efforts are needed to make these essentials available.
The launch also seeks to secure a shared commitment through the Juba Declaration on Early Childhood Development, bringing national and sub-national leaders together around coordinated planning, implementation, and resource alignment. The establishment of the National Early Childhood Development Network marks a step towards building a more coordinated national ECD system.
The network aims to address the full 0-8 age continuum, including children aged 0-2 and those aged 6-8, who have historically received less attention within broader ECD frameworks. The high-level forum in Juba brought together various stakeholders, including government officials, civil society, development partners, and academia.
The children whose futures are being discussed are growing today, or some are yet to be born. The care they receive and the opportunities they have now will shape the years ahead. The commitment and support of the network will be crucial in making a lasting difference for them.
Key points
- South Sudan has launched a National Early Childhood Development Network to strengthen coordination and investment in young children.
- The network aims to address longstanding gaps in coordination, financing, and policy implementation across ECD.
- The initiative is led by the Science Teachers' Initiative, with Save the Children as co-chair and technical support from the African Early Childhood Network.
