Policy, Influence and Strategic Advocacy

We amplify demand for quality early childhood development through policy influence, joint public advocacy, strategic communications, and evidence-informed behaviour change, ensuring Uganda’s youngest children are prioritised at every level of decision-making.

See our Focus Areas
Why this Work

The Challenge

Despite growing evidence that the first 1,000 days of a child’s life shape their entire future, early childhood development remains underfunded and under-prioritised in Uganda. National policies exist, but often lack the financing, coordination, advocacy and public awareness needed for meaningful implementation. Pre-primary education budgets remain a fraction of overall education spending. Many families, especially in underserved communities, are unaware of their children’s developmental needs or their right to quality early learning services.

EYC’s Policy, Advocacy & Communications work exists to change this — by shifting mindsets, mobilising investment, and ensuring the systems that shape children’s earliest years actually work.

What We Believe

Strong policies, sustainable financing, and community understanding are the foundation for equitable, quality early childhood development in Uganda. When governments prioritise ECD in budgets and legislation, and evidence drives decisions, systems change and children thrive.

What We Do

We use , data-informed strategies to influence policy, mobilize investment, inspire action, and shift behaviors at every level, from Parliament to the parish.

Influencing ECD Policy & Legislation

We work closely with government ministries, Parliament, civil society organisations, and development partners to ensure Uganda’s policy and legal environment supports holistic early childhood development.

Current Priorities

  • Supporting the development, implementation, and financing of the ECCE Policy and its Implementation Standards and Guidelines
  • Engaging with the Education Policy Review Commission to integrate ECD into national education reform
  • Contributing to national strategies on gender, inclusive education, and violence prevention in early learning spaces

We believe every shilling invested in a child’s early years has exponential returns. We work to ensure public budgets reflect this reality.

Current Priorities

  • Conducting expenditure reviews of ECD-related public investment
  • Analysing public investment trends across ECD sectors (education, health, nutrition, protection)
  • Leading strategic dialogues with Ministries, Departments, Agencies and local governments to increase allocations for pre-primary and ECD services

We elevate ECD on the national agenda through campaigns, media partnerships, and storytelling that make the case for investing in children’s earliest years.

Current Priorities

  • Creating accessible, values-based messaging that resonates with diverse stakeholders
  • Running public campaigns to raise awareness of Early Childhood Development (e.g., Choose Play, Every Day for International Day of Play)
  • Training local champions (district leaders, teachers, and youth) to advocate within their communities

EYC uses Communication for Development (C4D), a proven, systematic, and evidence-based approach, to create positive and measurable behaviour change. We empower parents and communities to take individual and collective actions that promote optimal early childhood development.

Current Priorities

  • Designing behaviour-change ECD messaging grounded in local context and community dialogue
  • Working with community health workers, teachers, and local leaders to deliver consistent ECD messaging
  • Monitoring behaviour-change outcomes to continuously improve communication strategies

Our Campaigns

Campaign 1

Mobilized parents, caregivers, and educators in pilot districts to champion play-based early learning and advocate for child development priorities during the International Day of Play

Campaign 2

Raised national and subnational awareness of Uganda’s newly approved Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Policy, operational standards, and implementation guidelines among educators, service providers, and district leaders

Campaign 3

Empowered subnational leaders and activated District Integrated ECD Committees in pilot districts (Terego, Namayingo, Bukedea, and Nebbi) to assess, plan, and prioritize budget allocations for early childhood services