Contact us

Month: February 2026

Categories
Education Technology

Global Alliance and $30M Investment to Transform Ukraine’s Early Childhood and Preschool Education

Rome, 11 July 2025 — A new international alliance of more than twenty partners — including UNICEF, the World Bank, GPE, UNESCO, OECD — has been launched to support Ukraine’s “First Steps Forward” initiative to transform Early Childhood and Preschool Education (ECPE), increase investment in the sector as well as enhance technical assistance and expertise for preschool education.

As part of this effort, the World Bank has made an initial contribution of $30 million to promote inclusive access to ECPE, enhance teaching and learning practices and conditions, and strengthen institutional and local capacities for ECPE management. 

The announcements were made through a Joint Statement at the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC 2025) to highlight the importance of prioritizing ECEP. The launch took place with the participation of Yevhen Kudriavets, First Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine, Antonella Bassani, Vice President of the Europe and Central Asia Region, World Bank, Regina De Dominicis, UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia.

“Human capital is every country’s most valuable resource — and early childhood education is key to developing it. Over the past months, we have taken an important step in this direction: a new law on early childhood education has been adopted, and a regulatory framework has been developed that significantly transforms the system.

With support from the World Bank and partner countries, we aim to restore access to education lost due to Russian aggression and build a modern, resilient system that meets the needs of every child,” said Oksen Lisovyi, Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine.

“Since the start of the full-scale invasion, early childhood education in Ukraine has faced severe disruptions. Over 320,000 children — more than 20% of preschoolers — lack access to in-person learning, and enrolment has dropped by 25% since 2021. Many preschools have been damaged or destroyed, and the system urgently needs modernization. Supporting this sector is a strategic priority for Ukraine’s recovery. We are grateful to all partners who have joined us in this mission,” added Yevhen Kudriavets, First Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine.

To address this, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine together with international partners has developed a Strategic Framework for Early Childhood and Preschool Education as part of the “First Steps Forward” initiative. The newly established alliance will collaborate to implement the strategy and support Ukraine’s recovery and long-term development by investing in one of the highest-return sectors — Early Childhood and Preschool Education (ECPE). The Strategic Framework focuses on key priorities:

  • Expanding and adapting infrastructure and service models to meet safety and demographic realities
  • Introducing flexible formats (e.g. mobile kindergartens, home- or workplace-based care)
  • Expanding access for all children, including those with disabilities
  • Improving teacher training and working conditions
  • Increasing parental and community engagement
  • Implementing digital systems for service planning and delivery

One of the shared targets is to ensure that by 2030, at least 45-50% of children under age 3 and 96% of children aged 3 to 6 are enrolled in high-quality early childhood services — in line with the EU’s Barcelona Targets.

“This framework is an opportunity to work together to ensure that every child in Ukraine has access to quality, inclusive, and flexible early learning and care,” said Regina De Dominicis, UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia. “UNICEF is committed to support the Government and its partners to turn this vision into reality – an essential step for the country’s recovery and long-term resilience.”

The “First Steps Forward” initiative is already endorsed by EU member states, leading financial institutions, organizations including Finland, Belgium, Lithuania, the World Bank Group, UNICEF, UNESCO, Global Partnership for Education and others. The full list of organizations can be found here.

It is expected to expand over time, with new partners joining on a regular basis.

Nowadays, Ukraine has a unique alignment that enables meaningful change in early childhood education. We invite all interested partners to join this effort — by sharing expertise, offering financial support, or contributing to the implementation of the “First Steps Forward” initiative.

For partnership inquiries: partnership@mon.gov.ua

The initiative is implemented with the assistance of the Partnerships Coordination Office of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.

Categories
Education

Kindergarten readiness varies widely by income, new data shows. Cities are stepping in to help

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Sandra Mosqueda watched with an amused smile as her 2-year-old son, Atreus, began sweeping the floor with a miniature mop.

Atreus is part of the inaugural class of infants and toddlers receiving free preschool in a citywide program in San Antonio, Texas. It’s something his mother doesn’t take for granted. As a child, she herself wasn’t able to start preschool this young. In the case of her two older boys — now in first grade and kindergarten — the free preschool set them up for success in elementary school.

The first five years of a child’s life are among the most critical for their development. Those years lay a foundation and prepare them for kindergarten, often setting them up for success throughout school and beyond. But immense disparities exist in whether parents across the country report their child as ready for kindergarten, new data from the National Survey for Children’s Health shows.

Nationally, nearly two-thirds of children were reported in the survey as on track for kindergarten, regardless of their families’ income. However, the gap in kindergarten readiness is substantial when comparing reports from the poorest families and the wealthiest — approximately a 20% difference.

Administered by the U.S. Census Bureau, the federal survey offers a glimpse into school readiness by collecting responses annually from thousands of parents and guardians on their children’s early learning, social-emotional development, self-regulation, motor development and health. The latest results were released in December.

Low-income children often have less access to experiences that boost school readiness, such as high-quality early learning opportunities. That isn’t to say those kids haven’t made gains. Over the past few years, the survey’s portion of on-track children from families earning less than the federal poverty line — just under $32,000 for a family of four in 2024 — has trended upward nationwide by a few percentage points.

High-quality education as a solution for all families, regardless of income

Many experts agree that one of the best ways to boost school readiness is to ensure programs meet high-quality standards, such as smaller class sizes and child-to-staff ratios.

Pre-K 4 SA has implemented a “whole child” approach that develops a range of skills, including socioemotional learning. Baray said the program prepares children “not just (for) academic success, but life success.”