The home has increasingly become the arena for child development and protection, especially as governments and other institutions take time to adjust to the requirements of COVID-19 response and recovery. Responsive caregiving and playful parenting have become a very important area of development to support ECD recovery post-pandemic.

A particular concern in the Asia-Pacific region is that parents and caregivers are expected to increasingly assume responsibilities for their young children’s learning and development at home, apart from ensuring that they are healthy and protected from various risks from climate change and environmental degradation, including public health emergencies and emerging and reemerging infectious diseases. The challenge, however, is that most parents and caregivers, especially those in already vulnerable circumstances, have limited capacities and resources to engage young children in healthy, developmental ways.

ARNEC responds to this need by promoting responsive caregiving and playful parenting to support nurturing care for young children in the region, especially for the disadvantaged families and communities. With partners at the country, regional and global levels, ARNEC supports ‘play’ as a powerful resource for keeping healthy, nurturing, and empowering interactions between young children and their parents and caregivers at home or in the community.