At the launch of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) Joint Roadmap for Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) for the period 2026-2030 in Jakarta on April 9, 2026, ARNEC was invited to present on the topic “Future-ready ECCE: Challenges and Possibilities.”

The Joint Roadmap aims to expand equitable and inclusive access to quality ECCE services, strengthen the ECCE workforce, empower parents and caregivers to support Early Childhood Development (ECD), mobilise financial resources for ECCE initiatives, and enhance governance and partnerships in the ECCE sector.

To support the empowerment of parents and caregivers for ECD, ARNEC Executive Director Evelyn Santiago emphasised efforts to enhance the competencies of parents, caregivers, and early childhood workers through the MORECare4YoungChildren Project.

Santiago explained, “In Indonesia and the Philippines, the UBS-assisted MORECare4YoungChildren project utilised local evidence to drive systemic change. By drawing on local government baseline findings, we designed context-appropriate solutions in collaboration with national government agencies and other stakeholders.”

The implementation experience in both countries highlighted the significance of local evidence and the need to institutionalize good practices before considering scaling up.

The ARNEC presentation focused on existing work that aligns well with the Joint Roadmap, including strengthening the ECD workforce through social and emotional learning competencies, addressing the impacts of climate change on ECD, advocating for increased ECD investments through the Act for the Early Years Campaign, and supporting ECCE through ARNEC’s learning and knowledge platforms for cross-country, peer learning, capacity-building, and partnerships and network development.