Turkmenistan will develop an action plan to implement the early childhood development strategy

The first steps in developing an action plan have been discussed last week at the online consultation meeting organized by UNICEF with participation of an inter-sectoral group of representatives of national entities and UNICEF international expert.  

The National ECD Strategy will contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the overall 2030 Agenda. The Strategy focuses on cross-sectoral collaboration to ensure survival and development of young children, and prioritizes early childhood care and education.

The ECD Strategy highlights the importance of measuring progress through reliable data and emphasises the need for strengthening coordination mechanisms and referrals at national and local levels. This will help to provide effective, efficient and quality services to young children and their families, as well as promote sharing of experiences and innovations, external advice, and oversight. As a result, more children will survive, develop to their fullest potential; more parents will be empowered to adopt beneficial child care practices; professionals will enhance their skills; and more positive social norms and beliefs benefitting children’s development will be promoted.

The action plan of the ECD strategy, that is expected to be ready by June, will include specific activities, results, deliverables, timeframes, and a monitoring and evaluation framework. Early childhood development will continue to be one of the key pillars of the next country programme between UNICEF and the Government of Turkmenistan for the period 2021-2025.