The African Center for Early Childhood Development (AfC-ECD) on November 13, 2025, convened a media forum in commemoration of International Children’s Day 2025, bringing together media experts and journalists to discuss national priorities for Early Childhood Development (ECD).
Opening the session, Dr. Kebede Worku, CEO of AfC-ECD, commended the presentations delivered at the forum and encouraged participants to engage in open discussion, underscoring the importance of collective action for children’s wellbeing.
Dr. Kebede highlighted the foundational role of early childhood care and encouraged participants to strengthen their ECD media coverage and alignment of their reporting with the center’s activities.
Dr. Meseret Zelalem, Deputy CEO of AfC-ECD, also urged the journalists to give due attention and strengthen reports that focuses on each and every households and mothers in Ethiopia.
She indicated that the forum acknowledges ongoing national initiatives led by Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health since 2015, aimed at strengthening the culture of planned childbirth and early childhood care, pre-pregnancy counseling and parental awareness programs.
Addressing digital exposure and screen timing, Dr. Tabor Gebremedhin, Senior Advisor to AfC-ECD, cautioned against screen use for young children. “Any form of screen exposure is not appropriate for children under the age of two, as it can contribute to vision problems and attention-related developmental challenges,” he noted, emphasizing that media institutions play a pivotal role in educating the public on safe screen practices.
Dr. Tabor further explained the progress in Ethiopia’s revised pre-primary curriculum, which now integrates core learning competencies directly into children’s natural play patterns.
“Previously, teachers found it difficult to link play with curriculum themes. The new curriculum embeds required competencies into games children naturally play, making play-based learning more practical and easier to implement,” he said.
Providing data and future projections, Dr. Tabor disclosed that 1,051 pre-primary schools currently operate under the Addis Ababa City Administration, with more than 100 already upgraded into improved early learning environments. He added that plans are underway to:
Construct 12,000 playgrounds across communities,
Establish two public daycare centers per woreda, and
Scale up community-based childcare and development centers, particularly for families living in condominium and shared housing settings by 2026.
The initiatives, he said, will be progressively expanded nationwide. As a pilot example, he indicated that Dire Dawa Administration is currently supporting 15 schools to open their compounds for safe community play after school hours. In addition, in Dire Dawa, 15 schools are currently being supported to open their compounds for safe community play after school hours.
Separately, AfC-ECD is supporting 15 schools in Dire Dawa to open their compounds for community children to access safe play after school hours.
Mr. Mekonnen Teshome, Communication and Advocacy Coordinator of AfC-ECD, also briefed participants on effective media engagement strategies.
He stressed that media houses should move beyond factual reporting to include expert-driven storytelling, visual communication, and case-based features to inspire positive community practices and influence public behavior in support of early childhood development.
Also at the occasion, participating journalists welcomed the forum and raised pressing issues for policy attention, including:
Teachers limiting children’s play due to fear of accountability in case of injuries,
School absenteeism among children in conflict-affected areas,
The need for stronger focus on child nutrition, as some children attend school without meals,
Strengthening teachers’ roles as ethical and behavioral role models,
Inclusion of more regions in AfC-ECD programs,
Improved efforts in institutional visibility and promotion, and
Community awareness programs on child-rearing practices, especially concerning punishment and future career guidance, while ensuring culturally and nationally contextualized messaging.
The forum concluded with a shared commitment to continue collaboration between AfC-ECD and the media sector to scale early childhood development advocacy across Ethiopia and the African region.