The Challenges Facing ECD Centres: Why Early Childhood Development Needs Community Support.

The link to their website

Early childhood is one of the most important stages in a child's life. It is where learning begins, where young minds develop and where the foundations for the future are built. But while children depend on Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres for care, learning and sometimes even their most nutritious meals, many of these centres are struggling to provide these essential services because of a lack of resources and support.

From unsafe buildings and poor municipal services to registration challenges and insufficient funding, ECD practitioners continue to face difficulties that affect their ability to care for children. These were some of the issues discussed on BackChat, where we were joined by Yomelelani Twetwa, a project manager at UMNCEDI to talk about the work being done through the Real Reform for ECD campaign.

Yomelelani during
 the interview. 

Yomelelani explained that Real Reform for ECD is not an organisation on its own, but a campaign made up of organisations and ECD practitioners working towards protecting children's rights in South Africa. The campaign exists because, although the country's Constitution and laws recognise children's rights, those rights do not always reflect the realities experienced by children and the people caring for them.

For Yomelelani, one of the biggest concerns is the lack of support available to ECD centres, particularly those operating in disadvantaged communities. Through UMNCEDI, the organisation she works with, some centres receive information, resources and small grants. However, she explained that many centres, especially in rural areas, still struggle to access the assistance they need.

One of the major challenges is the registration process. Many ECD centres begin in people's homes, often started by individuals who want to provide care for children in their communities. They do not necessarily have start-up capital or government support when they open. However, once a centre takes care of more than six children, it is required to register with the Department of Education and meet several compliance requirements.

Yomelelani @bushradio's front 
desk.

Yomelelani described the process as a difficult one, particularly for centres that operate in informal settlements or rented properties. Among the requirements is land-use approval, which may involve rezoning a residential property so that it can operate as an ECD centre. But how does a centre obtain that approval when the practitioner does not own the land, does not have a title deed or is operating from an informal settlement?

There are also environmental health inspections, building requirements and municipal fees to consider. Yomelelani explained that centres may struggle to afford the costs of health inspections, building plans and other requirements. This creates a difficult situation for practitioners who are already operating with very limited resources.

The financial pressure does not end with registration. Nutrition is another major concern. Many ECD centres are responsible for providing children with meals, but the available government subsidy is not enough to meet their needs.

According to Yomelelani, the subsidy had remained at R19 per child per day for approximately five years before increasing to R24. She questioned whether R24 could realistically cover a child's daily needs, especially when only R9.60 is allocated towards nutrition. For centres that depend on these funds, providing nutritious meals becomes increasingly difficult.

She also highlighted the seriousness of child malnutrition, stating that between 27 and 29 percent of children in South Africa are stunted. She explained that inadequate access to nutritious food can affect children's development and have consequences throughout their lives. In some disadvantaged communities, ECD centres provide children with their most nutritious meals of the day. This makes the support given to these centres even more important.

But rather than only raising these concerns, the Real Reform for ECD campaign has been taking the conversation directly to local political candidates and municipal decision-makers.

Yomelela & Thomas the
 host of Backchat.

With local government elections approaching at the time of the interview, the campaign identified an opportunity to bring ECD issues into political discussions. Yomelelani explained that political parties often speak about their plans for communities, but early childhood development and children's needs do not always receive the attention they deserve.

The campaign began by conducting listening tours in different municipalities, where ECD practitioners were given an opportunity to explain what their everyday experiences looked like and what municipalities could do to make their work easier. Their concerns were then brought together in a formal ECD manifesto.

The next step involved organising ECD imbizos, where political parties, municipal departments and other relevant offices were invited to engage with practitioners. The manifesto was presented to these stakeholders, outlining the specific challenges faced by ECD centres and calling for these issues to be reflected in political parties' commitments and plans.

Yomelelani explained that municipal decisions matter because many of the requirements affecting ECD registration are connected to local bylaws, municipal offices and fees. Mayoral candidates and other local representatives may have the authority to review some of these requirements, reduce unnecessary barriers and make the registration process more accessible.

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can be contacted 

The campaign also wanted political parties to understand that supporting ECD centres is not only about supporting practitioners. It is about investing in children and recognising the importance of early childhood development in building communities.

When asked what would happen after the elections, Yomelelani explained that the work would continue beyond the imbizos. The campaign intended to follow up with the political parties and candidates who signed the ECD manifesto, identify those who would be taking office and facilitate further discussions about working together.

More information can be found on their website.

Another important part of the next phase would be getting ECD practitioners, parents and community members involved in their municipalities' Integrated Development Plan (IDP) processes.

Looking ahead to 2027, Yomelelani encouraged communities to participate in IDP meetings, where residents and other stakeholders can discuss municipal priorities and plans for the following five years. She emphasised that ECD practitioners and parents should be part of these conversations so that the challenges facing centres are included in municipal plans and budgets.

Her message was clear: improving early childhood development cannot be left to ECD practitioners alone. It requires cooperation between communities, parents, organisations, municipalities and government departments.

The conversation on BackChat brought light on many things including that while South Africa has laws and policies recognising children's rights, the real challenge is making sure those rights are experienced in everyday life. For a child attending an ECD centre, that can mean having access to safe buildings, clean water, proper facilities, nutritious meals and an environment where they can learn and grow.

Supporting ECD centres is therefore not simply about helping the people who run them. It is about giving children a better foundation and making sure that their needs are not overlooked when decisions about communities are being made.

Written By Unathi Ngomana.