“The early years of a child’s life quite literally present the opportunity of a lifetime. What happens, or does not happen to a child through its early childhood can influence the entire course of that child’s life, for better or for worse” said Noala Skinner, Representative of UNICEF Rwanda.
In April 2012, the Government of Rwanda organized a national Stakeholders meeting on Early Childhood Development under the leadership of Her Excellency Jeannette Kagame, First Lady of the Republic of Rwanda. The meeting offered a platform for advocacy on the need for ECD services and constructive engagement with stakeholders on their respective obligations to support ECD interventions.

Early Childhood Development has become a national priority of the Government of Rwanda, marked as a foundational issue in the EDPRS II. The government has now updated the National ECD policy to cater for emerging needs of children from conception to 6 years whilst emphasizing on positive parenting as a cornerstone to sustainable ECD.