The Addis Ababa City Administration is strongly encouraged to sustain and strengthen its existing Early Childhood Development (ECD) program interventions, which have demonstrated measurable success in improving developmental outcomes for children under-three years old. With a 6.6% reduction in the proportion of developmentally off-track children compared to the 2021 baseline survey, continued investment in proven interventions—such as house-to-house parental coaching, integrated ECD service delivery in health facilities, and inter-sectoral collaboration—is essential. Sustaining these efforts will ensure lasting impact, promote the well-being of young children, and build on the solid foundation already laid for a healthier and more prosperous future.
The fact that 96% of children spend their day at home with their parents/caregivers highlights the critical role that caregivers play in promoting child development. By strengthening the Parental Coaching Service, the center can provide caregivers with the support and guidance they need to promote healthy child development and address any developmental delays or concerns. This requires providing additional training and resources to parental coaches on child development milestones, responsive caregiving, and strategies to promote healthy child development. Introduce refresher training program to enhance knowledge and skill of the parental coaches.
To ensure the effectiveness and accountability of the parental coaching service, will enable the service to identify trends, patterns, and areas where children may be falling behind, and to adjust its interventions accordingly.
AfC-ECD Chief Executive Officer Kebede Worku (MD) stated that early childhood is a crucial period in which the interaction between young children and their environment shapes their physical, cognitive, emotional, social, and language development.
As to him, early childhood development advocates do have a critical importance of nurturing care in the early years of life thereby laying the foundation for a healthy, productive, and responsible posterity.
He noted that AfC-ECD, which was established by the Addis Ababa City Administration, is working to expand best practices in nurturing care to all states in order to improve children’s well-being across Ethiopia.
Kebede further elucidated that the center as a dynamic hub for learning, innovation, and collaboration in early childhood development. He explained that AfC-ECD is committed to ensuring that every child has the opportunity to thrive through the implementation of coordinated programs, research, and strategic partnerships.
“As a catalyst for change, our center supports sectors in delivering high-quality early childhood development services,” he said. “By doing so, we are helping children build a strong foundation to contribute meaningfully to a prosperous and sustainable future for Ethiopia and the continent at large.”
AfC-ECD Deputy CEO, Meseret Zelalem (MD), on her part underlined the vital role that parents, family members, and caregivers play in providing nurturing care during the early years of a child’s life. She emphasized that secure and supportive family environments are essential for the healthy growth and development of young children.
Meseret (MD) also highlighted five interdependent and essential components of nurturing care: good health, adequate nutrition, safety and security, responsive care giving, and opportunities for early learning. She called for comprehensive policies, supportive services, and community-based programs to empower caregivers and provide them with the time and resources needed to raise children effectively.
According to her, the accessibility of the program is carried out in a well-coordinated manner employing the combined effort of Addis Ababa Health Bureau as it has handed out over 5000 family members or parents, parental coach capacity building experts, and other personnel with a view to making sure the accessibility of the program.
“To reach their full potential, children need holistic care from their earliest days. Raising awareness among parents and caregivers is crucial to achieving meaningful and sustainable results,” she said.
Both officials stressed that investment in early childhood development is not just a social priority, but also a strategic investment in the country’s future. They called for stronger collaboration among government sectors, communities, and development partners to promote nurturing care practices and ensure every Ethiopian child has the opportunity to succeed.
“Parenting interventions throughout the first three years of life are beneficial for raising parenting techniques and promoting early childhood development in low-, middle-, and high-income settings. To support parents and help young children reach their full developmental potential, more widespread and large-scale adoption of quality and effective parenting interventions is required,” Meseret stated.
“The age range for “early childhood development” (ECD) has been defined differently by different organizations. While some define ECD to encompass children ages zero–six, others include children ages zero–eight (WHO and UNICEF, 2012), and still others extend the definition to include conception towage eight years (Save the children, 2023). This period sets the foundation for a child’s future growth, development, learning, productivity, success in school and in life, and overall well-being. Early experiences shape brain architecture and have a direct impact on social, emotional, and cognitive skills. Moreover, this early timeframe provides a method to address inequality more effectively than it can be later in life. The Addis Ababa City Administration focuses on ECD for children aged zero to six years, emphasizing on holistic development through care services and action plans with the goal of fostering healthy, productive, ethical, and responsible citizens (Strategic Programs Management Office of the Addis Ababa City Administration Mayor’s Office, 2023).”
According to Dr. Meseret, appropriate health services, an adequate and balanced diet, opportunities for preprimary education, and responsive care which takes place in a variety of locations, including homes, schools, health facilities, and community-based centers to reach their full potential, children in early childhood need a safe and comfortable environment.
Collaboration between governmental, non-governmental, and communities is crucial for ensuring these services are provided, as failure to do so jeopardizes children’s potential for productivity and country development, she underlined. Failure to provide nurturing care for children can have severe consequences, ultimately threatening their potential to lead fulfilling lives, contribute to their community, and participate in the nation’s development. ECD involves various sub-stages, including pregnancy and prenatal care, home-based care, parent education, and preprimary school education. It is crucial to invest in holistic services for children from marginalized homes, including those with special needs.
Early childhood experiences significantly impact health, well-being, and productivity throughout life. The science of early childhood has led to increased political momentum for improving development. Progress has been made in developing an index for country comparisons, improving population-level assessments of children at risk, and producing country profiles.
However, more investment is needed to standardize measurement tools, collect population-level data, and improve country capacity for monitoring early childhood development. For parents who wish to strengthen their bond with their children without compromising their personal or professional lives, parental coaching in Addis Ababa is a great tool/ resource. Parental coaching in Addis Ababa assists parents in identifying their strengths as a parent and in setting and implementing achievable goals using evidence-based techniques and psycho-educational support.
The main goal of parental coaching in Addis Ababa is to empower parents to provide their children with the best possible care. Parental coaches are assisting parents in creating a supportive and productive environment that fosters growth and development of their children by boosting self- esteem and providing techniques and resources.
Parental coaching helps parents strengthen their bond with their children, identify strengths, set goals, and boost self-esteem. These interventions are effective across all socioeconomic groups, especially for vulnerable children. Given that 96% of children spend their day at home, parents/caregivers play a crucial role in promoting child development. Early learning is primarily obtained at home through informal channels like reading, playing, singing, and counting. Advances in neuroscience show early learning experiences are essential for children’s success. Parental coaches can influence caregivers on nutrition and healthy eating habits.
Meseret underscored the significance of capitalizing on the aforesaid five components of nurturing care to reach children’s full potential. In order to provide caregivers with time and resources to provide nurturing care, policies, services and community supports need to be in place and practically implemented.
BY MENGESHA AMARE
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SATURDAY 14 JUNE 2025
