ABOUT ECDtf
Who we are
We are 200+ volunteer professionals and family members affiliated with over 110 organizations and hailing from 78 countries across nine regions of the globe. We serve as a network hub for an orchestrated ECD-ECI voice within the Global Partnership on children with disabilities (GPcwd). We work in concert with kindred initiatives focused on the inclusion of young children with developmental delays and disabilities and their families in emergent global and regional development agendas and priorities (e.g., Sustainable Development Goals; strategic plans of organizations such as UNICEF, UNESCO, GPE, IYCG, ECDAN, etc.). We “connect-the-dots” between the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (CRPD) with advocacy for an inclusive approach to early childhood development.
Our vision
To ensure that children with developmental delays or disabilities will achieve their full potential, we promote multisectoral policies, programs and practices from preconception to eight years of age in all nations. We aim to establish and expand high-quality inclusive services for early childhood intervention in natural and community-based environments and to enhance the inclusion and equitable participation of young children and families in social protection, education, nutrition, and health, including in emergency situations.
Our history
Since the 2012 inception of the Global Partnership for Children with Disabilities (GPcwd), stakeholders committed to the challenges and opportunities inherent in early childhood development (ECD) as a vital pathway toward inclusive development have contributed to the enterprise. As the first wave of Task Forces began their work in Education, Nutrition, Assistive Technologies, and Humanitarian Action, it became increasingly clear that the essential and cross-cutting perspective of ECD would enhance and enrich GPcwd deliberations and actions. A survey on priorities and governance options fielded by the GPcwd Secretariat in 2013 identified strong interest and a compelling rationale for establishing an ECD Task Force. GPcwd asked a network of advocates and experts convened by the Partnership for Early Childhood Development and Disability Rights (PECDDR) to launch and coordinate this new ECD Task Force (ECDtf).
The RISE Institute, an active member of the ECDtf, served as the pro bono secretariat of ECDtf for eight years. Childhood Education International began as the Host Organization of the ECDtf in January 2023.
What we do – Strategic Priorities 2016-2020
- Policy advocacy and leadership
- Knowledge development: documents, tools, processes, research
- Capacity building thru pre- and in-service training and technical assistance
- Improvement and expansion of inclusive services
- Early identification thru developmental surveillance and screening
- Networking, knowledge transfer and information exchange
- Asserting the rights of young children and families
Member Directory
The purpose of the directory is for members to be able to locate other ECDtf members with similar interests, research, or practice issues and to identify individuals living in countries where they plan to visit or work. The directory is searchable for member name, country, city, and area of interest.
If you are a member of the ECDtf and would like to access the members’ directory, please contact us at kkostiuk@ceinternational1892.org. Members who would like to update their information in the directory can resubmit it here.
For those who would like to become an ECDtf member, please go to the Get involved page and provide us your email address so we can add it to our listserv, before adding your information to the ECDtf member directory. Members can choose whether or not to list their information in the directory based on personal preference.