A Report on Early Childhood Development Initiative in Malawi

At the launch of the programme in 2011, access to Early Childhood Development (ECD) service was limited to Malawian children between the ages of 3 – 6. Only 32% of the eligible children including those with special needs had access to Early Childhood Development meaning that 68% had no access. Furthermore, there were inadequate services for children with special needs within the ECD system as stakeholders paid much more attention to older children in terms of special needs. Poor quality of Child Based Community Centre infrastructure (generally dilapidated or grassthatched structures with unburnt bricks and mud floors), untrained personnel (volunteer management committees and caregivers), lack of early learning and stimulation materials, low profile of ECD in the country and limited investment are the main challenges the ECD sector faced in Malawi.