In its first year under the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Early Childhood Care and Development Council (ECCDC) is stepping up efforts to expand access to early childhood programs and improve service quality across Local Government Units (LGUs).

At the recent DILG KAPIHAN: Talakayan sa Komunidad at Pamahalaang Lokal, the ECCDC highlighted plans to ensure all barangays, especially low-income areas, have access to Child Development Centers, following directives from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Currently, 78,000 ECD Centers serve 42,011 barangays nationwide, but not all meet child-friendly standards, a gap the ECCDC aims to address. 

Initiatives include converting daycare centers into full Child Development Centers, enhancing the National Early Learning Curriculum aligned with the Department of Education, and helping LGUs access resources through the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF).

The ECCDC also seeks to strengthen the skills of Child Development Workers and create plantilla positions to professionalize early childhood care.

“We all know that the ECCD Program is a program of the Local Government Units. So I think that partnership, now under the umbrella ng DILG, mas nagkakaroon kami ng connection doon sa local government,” ECCDC said.

ECCDC expressed appreciation to the DILG Chief and attached agencies, reaffirming their commitment to ensuring Filipino children stay on track in early education.