The ECD Forum Model:
Background and Context
An astonishing journey.
• Opportunities
• Amazing people
• Its outcome more than
foreseen
• Didn’t invent ECD Forums
• Recognise them as an invaluable tool for addressing
Access to Early
Childhood Care and
Development is
limited
The needs of young
children that allow
for their holistic
development are
not being met
One on one
intervention with
primary care givers
and ECD service
providers from the
public and private
sectors is not
currently
achievable the need
is too great
CHALLENGES
• Save the Children in KwaZulu-Natal for 54 years. 1961 – 2012 as Save the
Children KwaZulu-Natal and 2013 -2015 as Save the Children South Africa.
• From 1961 - 1997 SCKZN volunteer donor organisation largely benefitting
the young child.
• Mid 1990’s recognised the existence of ECD Forums and the
need/opportunity for providing guidance and training on the Management of
ECD services.
• Also recognised that the need was too great for one on one intervention
• What started as meetings with groups of ECD services in a particular area in
order to determine where support would be most beneficial and needed has
grown in to what is now the ECD Forum Model.
Nokuthula Zulu
• Example and inspiration
• Long association with SC
• President of the SAECD Congress
• Chairman of the Mpumalanga Pre School Ass.
• Champion of ECD
• Runs an ECD service of a very high standard
• Willing to share her knowledge, expertise
and resources with other ECD service
providers in the community and wider
This has resulted in a large number
of ECD services, in the Mpumalanga
community that are also of a very high standard.
SC saw an opportunity for:
• Further developing what was happening in
Mpumalanga;
• To continue learning from Nokuthula; and
• To grow our initiative alongside hers as we together
implemented and shared our work with and
learnings from ECD Forums.
Many ECD forums throughout the country and are generally:
• Area based
• Open to ECD Supervisors and Practitioners
• Voluntary membership
However they are also largely characterized by being activity or crisis driven.
The opportunity lies in:
• The needs of the ECD sector being known
• Available resources identified and accessed
• Activities becoming outcomes driven.
THE ECD FORUM MODEL
Through providing
a Specific Systematic Approach
Tools to assist with implementation
SC has been able to empower ECD forums to contribute to
Increased access to and an improve quality of ECD services
=
The ECD Forum Model
• The ECD Forum Model has been informed by a Pilot Project with ECD
services in the Wentworth Community as well as working with the
Lamontville, Umzinto, Tongaat and Chesterville ECD Forums. Each
community has a different context and while the elements of Model
remaine constant SC’s involvement in implementing the Model has been
different in each area.
• Through the SC KZN Association of ECD Forums 64 ECD Forums from
throughout KZN have been exposed to and benefitted through the ECD
Forum Model. Reaching indirectly conservatively estimated:
1 920 ECD services (30 services per forum);
5 760 ECD Practioners (3 Practioners per site) ; and
57 600 young children (30 children per service)
THE ECCD FORUM MODEL
The Model is:
• Multi-faceted, and multi-dimensional.
• Geared to the holistic care, protection, nurturing and the
physical, emotional, social and intellectual developmental
needs of the young child.
• Founded on the rights of the child and on the imperative to
provide ongoing support and guidance to those who provide
ECD services.
The model involves
working through ECD
Forums to include all
sectors of the community
who have a responsibility
for the young child.
The Model combines:
• Information and knowledge dissemination
• Capacity development
• Sharing best practices
• Networking
• Partnerships
• Collective action
AN ECD FORUM

A network of ECD practioners from a specific geographical area in which all ECD services are known and invited to
participate.

Forum members are aware of and strive to meet the legal requirements that govern them as well as the need to
implement quality ECD Programmes.

Forum members identify challenges and opportunities and develop a plan to address these.

Regular meetings are held which always include a capacity building element, the opportunity to share best
practices and a focus on issues that require a position or action to be taken by the group as a whole.

Additional skills trainings by specialist facilitators and trainers are arranged.

Members have access to an ECD Centre of Excellence, a Resource Hub and a Mentor.

Cross visits and peer mentoring are encouraged.

Members are capacitated and empowered to engage with duty bearers regarding rights and services and to hold
them accountable.

Individual members may be mandated by the Forum to serve as a representative on various stakeholder groups.

Using the collective power of the group much needed resources in terms of services, expertise, time and cash/inkind donations are leveraged.

Opportunities are identified/created/ utilised to create an awareness in the community about the importance of ECD.
Tools and Resources
Detailed guidelines for the establishment, management and sustaining of a Community driven ECCD Forum
ECD Resource Hubs: a ‘meeting’ point; toy library; access to printing, laminating; sample lessons; etc
ECD Administration Resource Kit containing templates of required documentation.
ETDP SETA Accredited training on ‘How to Manage an ECD service’.
Connection to an acknowledged ECD Programme
Skills training on areas such as: Role and Responsibility of an ECD Service Management Committee; Positive
Discipline in ECD Centres; Water, sanitation, health and hygiene (WASH); Advocacy
• Information on relevant legislation, mandated responsibilities, contact details of government and non-government
ECCD service providers, potential supporters, links to the local media
• ECD Centres of Excellence
• Mentoring of ECD services
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The SCSA model incorporates two critical tools that are new to South Africa:
• The International Development and Learning Assessment (IDELA)Tool
• An Early Literacy and Maths (ELM) Programme for pre-school children
• Facilitation of the Provincial Association of ECD Forums
Stakeholders
A Community
An Effective
ECD Forum
Parents/Care
Givers
Access and
Quality ECD
SUPPORT FOR AND SUSTAINABILITY
There is an ongoing need to support and sustain ECD Forum this can
be achieved through
• Ensuring that ECD is owned by the community
• Having a Forum Mentor
• Mentoring of new Forums by well established forums
• Cross visits
• Keeping the Forum Model dynamic
and
• Regional/Provincial Associations of ECD Forums – capacity building,
sharing of best practice and collective action
The Wentworth ECD Forum: Insights from the field
Gail Richards