About us
Act For Early Years is a global campaign dedicated to ensuring that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and preschool education – vital for school readiness and lifelong well-being. We believe that investing in a child’s earliest years is one of the most powerful ways to break cycles of poverty and inequality and to build a more equitable world.
The campaign has three objectives:
- Mobilize at least $1 billion in new funding commitments: encourage governments, international donors, businesses and philanthropic donors to make new financial commitments to kick start progress and action for the youngest children. The campaign aims to build momentum through the first-ever International Financing Summit on Early Years with the aim of securing the necessary investments to transform lifelong outcomes for all children.
- Increase political prioritization: ensure the early years become a priority across domestic agendas, regional initiatives and global processes such as the G20.
- Future-proof the global goals: ensure the early years becomes a priority in the global development agenda and new SDGs.
Led by dozens of organizations in local communities across the globe, our campaign unites a diverse international coalition of frontline workers, experts, youth advocates, business leaders, civil society organizations, and individuals—all committed to ending the global early years crisis.
We Work Together
Act For Early Years is powered by a High-Level Advisory Group made up of leading early childhood organizations and networks from around the world, including the Africa Early Childhood Network (AfECN), Arab Network for Early Childhood, Dubai Cares, Asia-Pacific Regional Network for Early Childhood, Brookings Institution Center for Universal Education, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Early Childhood Development Action Network (ECDAN), Early Opportunities, International Step by Step Association (ISSA), Fundação Mario Cecilia Souto Vidigal, Global Business Coalition for Education, Lego Foundation, Minderoo Foundation, Moving Minds Alliance, Roger Federer Foundation, Scaling Up Nutrition, Sesame Workshop, Theirworld, Thrive Coalition, UNICEF, and UNESCO.
The campaign’s secretariat is managed by Theirworld, and we welcome inquiries at info@theirworld.org.
The campaign platform was developed through a comprehensive 18-month consultation phase. Please contact us if you are interested in receiving the campaign roadmap.
Join us in making this vision a reality. To partner with us, click here: Partner with Us, or add your voice to our open letter here: Join the Campaign.
Every child deserves the chance to thrive—it’s time to Act For Early Years.
Our Call to Action: The “Minifesto”
Act For Early Years calls for urgent government action to end the early years crisis and ensure every child has access to high-quality and nurturing proven early years interventions through three catalytic goals:
Catalytic Goal 1: Universal access to quality primary health care in support of health, wellbeing and development across pregnancy, birth, and early childhood.
Catalytic Goal 2: Universal access to quality, inclusive preschool education.
Catalytic Goal 3: Universal support for families including affordable and quality childcare, child benefits, and parent and caregiver support.
Such public investments in the early years benefit everyone—governments, businesses, communities, parents, caregivers, and most importantly, they transform lifelong outcomes for young children, no matter their context.
These three Catalytic Goals include a full framework of proven high quality interventions and policies:
