The Power of the Young Child Forum to Strengthen Local Coordination and Advocacy

Across South Africa, the quality of early childhood development (ECD) is deeply shaped at the local level, in communities where practitioners, families, NGOs, and government services intersect. Yet, too often, these systems operate in silos. The Young Child Forum (YCF) offers a practical and proven alternative: a locally-rooted platform for coordination, shared learning, and collective problem-solving. It is not another compliance forum. It is a space designed for collaboration, reflection, and action, where practitioners can share experiences, identify challenges, and access support that is responsive to their realities.

At its core, the value of the YCF lies in its ability to strengthen local coordination. Through regular, structured engagements, the forum connects fragmented services and stakeholders and links them to a platform where they can engage to anyone involved with young children. By linking ECD centres with health, social development, and civic systems we see integrated action at district level. This improves access to services and enables more coherent responses to issues such as registration, nutrition, and child protection. Over time, it builds trust between stakeholders and creates a more integrated local support system for young children.

Equally important is the YCF’s role in enabling local-level advocacy. By creating a space where practitioners can raise concerns and share lived experiences, the forum ensures that community voices inform decision-making. Issues identified within the YCF can be elevated to local government structures, bridging the gap between policy and practice. In this way, the YCF strengthens accountability through structured, collective engagement.

The Young Child Forum Handbook has been developed as a practical guide to support this work. Grounded in practitioner experience and field-based learning, it outlines not only the purpose and history of the YCF, but also how to run an effective forum in practice. It covers key areas such as:

• The YCF Theory of Change, which articulates how collaboration leads to improved knowledge, coordination, and outcomes for children.
• Practical guidance on planning and running sessions, including venue setup, agendas, and facilitation approaches.
• Clarification of roles, particularly the critical function of the ECD facilitator as a connector and mobiliser.
• Systems for administration, monitoring, evaluation, and learning, ensuring that forums remain accountable and adaptive.
• Real-world lessons, challenges, and recommendations drawn from communities such as Pongola, Worcester, and Bushbuckridge.

Importantly, the handbook emphasises that what makes a YCF work is the embedded practices, playful and inclusive facilitation, relevant topics, stakeholder engagement, and a commitment to continuous learning.

As the ECD sector continues to evolve, there is growing recognition that sustainable change happens closest to the child. The Young Child Forum demonstrates that when local actors are supported to build and hold agency. We see practitioners who are connected and better equipped to respond to challenges as they become active drivers of change within local communities at district level.