OUR NEWS
Worcester Technical Task Team Policy Victory in 2025
The Worcester Technical Task Team has achieved a significant policy victory, culminating in the development and near completion of the Breede Valley Municipality (BVM) Early Childhood Development (ECD) Policy in the Western Cape. This initiative, spearheaded by the Worcester technical task team with support from Real Reform, represents a crucial step in strengthening the local ECD ecosystem and lays a foundational blueprint for all stakeholders involved. There were various stakeholders involved such as ECD forum leads, Department of Health (DoH), Department of Social Development (DSD), Department of Education (DoE) and municipal departments.
Two Years of Listening, Connecting and Learning: Lessons from Coordinating Stakeholder Forums in Rustenburg
Since 2022, the Early Care Foundation (ECF) has supported the coordination of a collective forum in Rustenburg focused on the wellbeing and services of children aged 0–5. Two key spaces include: the Young Child Forum, an inclusive platform for sharing knowledge and experiences with local ECD principals and local organizations with young children and a Technical Committee, where planning, coordination, and alignment take place between key partners in the early childhood development (ECD) space such as government departments like Department of Basic Education and NGOS working in the area. Drawing from participatory governance and systems change theory, they serve as sites of relational accountability, where organisations align around a shared purpose.
Reaching families where they are: A playful and powerful “Home Visiting Model” in Randfontein
Co-authored by ACFS and DO MORE FOUNDATION
In many of South Africa’s under-resourced communities, the earliest years of a child’s life are often the most overlooked. Thousands of children remain at home instead of attending early learning centres – sometimes due to affordability, sometimes due to cultural perceptions, and often due to sheer lack of access. But while the child waits, so does their development. And the consequences of this “wait for Grade R” mentality are severe – missed opportunities for early stimulation, school readiness, and lifelong wellbeing.
This is the urgent gap that ACFS and the DO MORE FOUNDATION (with the financial backing from Investec) are addressing through a dynamic home visiting programme in Randfontein, supported by RCL FOODS and brought to life through an impactful partnership with Kids Collab.
“Scoping for Impact: Uncovering What Boksburg Needs”
Before we act, we listen. That’s the ethos behind the ‘Everyone Gets to PLAY’ model’s scoping process, a community-led journey that ensures real needs shape real solutions. In Boksburg, our implementing partner ACFS Community Education took this to heart, leading a deeply immersive scoping process that didn’t just gather data - it uncovered opportunity, challenge, and human urgency. “From the moment we stepped into Boksburg, you could feel the need,” reflected Jabu Mthembu-Dlamini (Community work Lead at DO MORE FOUNDATION). “Children were on pavements, in streets, sitting with parents at roadside stalls. You didn’t need a formal survey to see the urgency, it was in plain sight.”
What does scoping look like in practice?
While the DO MORE FOUNDATION provides the guiding framework through our Scoping Terms of Reference, it’s our partners who bring this framework to life. In Boksburg, ACFS led the charge - recruiting local youth as data collectors, developing participatory tools, and blending quantitative rigour with on-the-ground intuition. These youth, drawn from the very communities we aimed to serve, were recruited and trained in data ethics, research tools, and community entry strategies. Armed with clipboards and local knowledge, they stepped into homes, ECD centres, street corners, and ward meetings - gathering not just numbers, but insights.
Reimagining Early Learning Access: How ACFS “Resource Hubs” Are turning Community Grit into Gold
Co-authored by the DO MORE FOUNDATION and ACFS
In many parts of South Africa, the earliest years of a child’s life unfold in spaces full of love but short on support. For families living in under-resourced communities, access to quality early learning isn’t just limited. It’s often entirely out of reach. Centres are too far. Fees are too high. Resources are too few. And caregivers? Often left doing their best with very little.
But in Randfontein, something different is happening - something rooted in community and growing quietly, powerfully, from the inside out.
The ACFS Resource Hub Model, supported by the DO MORE FOUNDATION and made possible through the generous support of Siqalo, is one such response. It’s not a silver bullet, and it doesn’t promise quick fixes. But what it does offer is something rare: a locally grown, practical model that gives ECD practitioners real tools to do what they’ve always wanted to do - nurture young minds, with confidence, creativity and care.
Molteno’s Birth Certificate Campaign: Overcoming Rural Challenges in South Africa
What is a birth certificate, and why is it important?
A birth certificate is an official document that proves a person’s birth and provides their basic information. It is a child’s first official record of existence, confirming their identity, age, and nationality. In South Africa, this document is important for children because it offers legal proof of identity and citizenship, which are essential for accessing basic rights and services. Without it, children may face difficulties in getting healthcare, enrolling in school, receiving social assistance such as the child support grant, or being protected under the law. According to Hall, Almeleh, Giese, Mphaphuli, Slemming, Mathys., et al (2024), a birth certificate is an enabling document, a gateway to a range of critical services that support children in reaching their developmental potential.
The National Integrated Early Childhood Development Policy (2015) recognises that every child should have the opportunity to access early learning, care, and support from birth. However, formal ECD centres require birth certificates for registration and subsidy, which can be a challenge for children who are undocumented.