Mapping of Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Service Providers and Developing an Expansion Strategy for ECCD and Implementation Plan in Lesotho

The Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) programme is a critical investment in the optimal development of children from birth to age 8. The ECCD services encompass a range of initiatives, including health and nutrition, protection, early learning, and social and emotional support, which promote the well-being of children and prepare them for lifelong learning. Research has consistently demonstrated that the early years of a child’s life are a critical period for laying the foundations for future success. Specifically, children under 5 years old have a window of opportunity for developing cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and regulatory skills that predict later functioning in many domains.

The ECCD programme in Lesotho is designed to provide comprehensive services that support and leverage a child’s optimal development during this critical period. The adopted approach to the assignment recognises the ECCD programme in the Government of Lesotho (GOL) as a regulated service area. By adopting a rigorous methodology that considers the country’s specific context and challenges, the programme can ensure that its services are effective, efficient, and responsive to the needs of young children. Through the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET), the Government of Lesotho recognizes the importance of developing a unified national commitment to expand and improve early childhood services. As a result, the National Policy and Strategic Plan for Integrated Early Childhood Care and Development was developed through a participatory and multisectoral planning process.

This plan will serve as the foundation for this study, providing a framework for understanding the ECCD programme in Lesotho. The MoET in Lesotho realised insufficient information on ECCD providers in the Education and Management Information System (EMIS), particularly ECCD private providers. To address this gap, the scope of work for this assignment will include assessing the current EMIS and identifying gaps in data collection and consolidation of private ECCD providers into the EMIS. The mapping of ECCD services will ensure that data supporting the ECCD programme are systematically collated, analysed, and used to develop an ECCD costed expansion strategy. A key consideration in this study will be ensuring that the ECCD programme is inclusive and accessible to all children in Lesotho, regardless of their background or circumstance, responding to changes such as industry expansion, improvements in social and political conditions, rapid.