Foundations for Future Success
Local Governments are at the frontlines of early childhood service delivery. They plan, budget, recruit, supervise, and engage communities. If ECD systems don’t work at the district level, they don’t work at all.
That’s why Early Years Count (EYC) is investing in innovative tools and partnerships to strengthen how local governments prioritize and deliver early childhood services. Our Local Government Assessment work builds accountability, encourages peer learning, and helps unlock district-level action for Uganda’s youngest children.
Equitable Access
Every child deserves early learning opportunities, especially the most vulnerable. We prioritize marginalized communities through localized, inclusive solutions.
Parent as First Teacher
Parents are empowered with simple, actionable strategies to nurture cognitive, social, and emotional growth even without formal schooling.
Learning Beyond Classrooms
Education doesn’t stop at school doors. We transform homes into vibrant learning spaces through play, stories, and daily interactions.
From First Words to First Steps Building Lifelong Learners
ECD Local Government Scorecard
EYC is piloting Uganda’s first ECD Local Government Scorecard; a structured tool that tracks how well districts are performing in key areas such as:
- ECD planning and budgeting
- Workforce deployment and training
- Supervision of ECCE centers
- Access to essential services (e.g., play, health, nutrition, WASH)
- Child protection mechanisms
The scorecard helps district leaders visualize progress, celebrate wins, and share what’s working.
District Engagement and Capacity Support
We work together with district officials, planners, education officers, community development officers, and health teams to:
- Build capacity to understand and implement the ECCE Policy
- Integrate ECD priorities into District Development Plans and budgets
- Co-design local solutions based on community needs and data
- Support participatory reviews and interdepartmental collaboration
This work ensures ECD is not seen as a siloed agenda, but as a shared mandate across sectors.
Linking Policy to Practice
We ensure national-level policies and strategies don’t just remain on paper. Through our local government partnerships, we:
- Test practical implementation tools
- Identify policy bottlenecks and feedback loops
- Generate district case studies and evidence that inform national reforms
We connect realities on the ground with policy conversations at the national level.
What makes our approach unique?
- Bottom-up and system-wide: We improve district performance while influencing national learning
- Evidence-driven: Data from the scorecard feeds into real-time planning and reform
- Peer learning model: Districts learn from each other.
Recent Outputs
Looking to integrate ECD into your local development plan? We can help guide the process.
ECD Local Government Scorecard – A pioneering tool for tracking ECD readiness and performance.
District-Led Planning Workshops – Hands-on sessions to translate policy into action.
District Champions for ECD – Recognizing and nurturing bold leadership in local government.
Learning Starts at Home
In Uganda’s hardest-to-reach communities, we’re planting seeds of learning right at home turning parents into teachers, everyday moments into lessons, and challenges into opportunities. Because when education takes root early, futures flourish.
