This is a documentary about the importance of loving relationships in early childhood development. It includes interviews with experts and footage with parents from across nine countries and four continents. The Bernard van Leer Foundation has put together a selection of short clips from the documentary, grouped by theme.Read More →

This short video tells the story of identical twins, Lena and Mionka, who were born two months early in Serbia. At the Intensive Care and Therapy Unit their parents were taught about the importance of skin to skin contact. Both mother and father take every opportunity to touch and hold their little girls. The video tells their story and describes other initiatives underway at the health facility to ensure pre-term babies get the best possible care right from the start. Read More →

UNICEF South Africa, the Department of Social Development, the Department of Basic Education and the LEGO Foundation have developed and distributed easy to understand early learning activity sheets for parents and caregivers of children birth to 5 years. The early learning activities are playful and can be easily incorporated into daily routines using low-cost/no-cost resources. The activity sheets enable parents to support the early learning and development of their children while at home during the COVID-19 lockdown. Translation into the 11 South African languages is underway.Read More →

The “Dubai Declaration on Early Childhood Development” identifies the elements and approaches for a holistic package of services for young children and their caregivers, ranging from stimulation and play to nutrition to parental livelihoods. The declaration also calls for these approaches to be backed by national policy, with regulations and incentives that can guide private sector investment alongside state prioritization of early childhood development.Read More →

What would a successful multi-sectoral approach to early childhood development look like? This was the central question posed by the Asia-Pacific Regional Network for Early Childhood Development (ARNEC), at their regional conference in Nepal from 5-7 June 2018. As part of the main program, UNICEF’s Pia Rebello Britto (pictured) deliveredRead More →