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The First 1000 Days is increasingly recognised as a critical period for child development, with a growing global evidence base. But the key question remains: where is the best platform to reach young children, and how do we localise these globally acknowledged messages? What do they mean for the everyday mother or family in a local community? Churches remain deeply trusted institutions, places where families gather, and where care often begins.

Over the past five months, faith leaders in Nkomazi and the Breede River Valley have been taking intentional steps to support families in the First Thousand Days (first 1000 Days) which is the period from pregnancy to age two. This work is part of a growing partnership between the Do More Foundation, Sikunye, and local church networks. Together, we are walking alongside churches as they find ways to nurture the youngest members of their community by strengthening the families around them.

Who is Sikunye? Sikunye is a programme of Common Good that supports churches across South Africa to engage in early childhood development. The name means “We are together” — and that’s the heart of their approach: equipping church leaders with practical tools, training, and accompaniment to become champions for children in the early years.

Something special happened this year: the DO MORE FOUNDATION has formally partnered with the National Department of Basic Education (DBE) to bring the National Integrated Early Childhood Development Policy (NIECD) to life, community by community.

On paper, it’s a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). In practice, it’s a powerful door-opener. One that allows us to take our Everyone Gets to PLAY model, designed with and for real communities, and integrate it into the fabric of how early childhood services are delivered across South Africa.

This model is about collective impact in action. It’s not just our work - it’s a partnership between specialist non-profits, local government departments, local business and community leaders who understand what young children and their families need to thrive. Together, we’re delivering a holistic basket of services - from early learning and nutrition to parenting support and child protection. And now, we’re doing it with national government behind us.

So, what does this mean? The MoU is more than a signature, it’s a signal. A signal that government recognises the power of shared-value partnerships between non-profits, business, and the state to drive systemic change in early childhood development. Within weeks of signing, the DBE issued letters (signed by the Director-General) to all provincial Heads of Department, naming DO MORE FOUNDATION as an official implementing partner. This opened doors not only for collaboration, but for trust, visibility, and alignment at all levels.

Everyone Gets to Play is a values-driven model that demonstrates what’s possible when diverse partners align around a shared commitment to young children. The outcome of the model is a collective impact approach designed to strengthen the systems of care surrounding children from pregnancy through the early years of life.

Developed and refined through years of collaboration, this model shows what happens when government, civil society, and business work together, not just in theory, but in practice. The result is a localised, sustainable system that delivers real outcomes for children and families. The model is currently being implemented and adapted across eight under-resourced communities in South Africa.

Throughout F25, the DO MORE FOUNDATION has been laying the groundwork for a national response to one of the most overlooked intersections in climate adaptation: Early Childhood Development (ECD). Climate change is already shaping the world that young children are growing up in. Things like extreme heat, poor air quality, floods, and droughts all affect where children live, play, and learn, especially in under-resourced communities. The early years really matter (the years from conception to age 6), because a child’s brain and body are developing faster than at any other time in life. When their environment is unstable or unhealthy, it affects everything from their ability to learn to their long-term health.

In Nkomazi, a decade-long public-private partnership is transforming early childhood development. This independent evaluation, conducted by Linda Biersteker, highlights the success of the Leave No Young Child Behind (LNYCB) initiative, underpinned by the Everyone Gets to PLAY model. With nearly 6,000 children reached, the model demonstrates how strong local coordination, community leadership, and a trusted backbone organisation can deliver real change. The Nkomazi example now informs national policy and proves what’s possible when collective action centres the needs of young children.