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Addressing the Global ECD Challenge Through Scalable Parent-Powered Solutions

The early childhood development (ECD) crisis is acute and growing. It is even more urgent for the 100 million pre-school children in rural communities across the global south who miss out on the care and early learning they need at home and in school, harming their development and life chances. Existing programmes often lack the quality, affordability and scale needed. The COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing conflicts have only made matters worse, slowing progress toward universal quality pre-primary early childhood education. In short, policy-makers are urged to view ECD as an urgent development priority and to seek transformative, large-scale solutions.

Lively Minds Accelerator Model

Lively Minds proposes a proven, cost-effective approach that puts parents at the centre of ECD, delivered through existing government systems.  

We support governments to leverage the mechanisms they already have in place to get simple, practical, play-based ideas into the hands of parents, enabling them to provide more play, learning, and nurturing care at home using their own resources. Governments deliver this approach through two versions: an in-person model, where teachers run group workshops for parents and strengthen their own classroom practice; and a radio model, which reaches parents directly in areas without pre-primary services. Robust evaluations show this approach leads to improved school readiness (equivalent to an additional year of schooling), stronger socio-emotional skills, better nutrition, and improved parental wellbeing. Because both versions run entirely through government systems, they can be delivered, sustained, and scaled nationwide.

It is this government-partnership design – essentially an ‘accelerator’ for ECD – that Lively Minds is now co-designing in new countries.

Scoping insights - Ethiopia and Gambia

In October 2025, Lively Minds led joint scoping missions in Ethiopia’s Oromia region and in The Gambia, hosted by each country’s education ministry. In Ethiopia’s Oromia region, the ECD landscape reflects critical gaps: many teachers lack training in play-based approaches, and parents are not yet actively providing play-based learning opportunities at home. However, during the scoping mission, parents expressed strong interest in learning how to support their children’s development. Education officials recognised parental involvement as essential to improving school readiness and welcomed models that empower families. Encouragingly, parents shared their eagerness to be part of the solution: ‘We want our children to thrive. We are ready to do our part.’ These insights highlight the potential to transform under-resourced communities by equipping parents with simple, play-based tools to boost early learning at home and in the community.

In The Gambia, the ECD mission revealed significant gaps in teacher training on play-based approaches, and limited parental involvement in play-based learning at home. However, parents and communities demonstrated a strong understanding of the value of early education and expressed a clear desire to be more involved. They too know that nurturing the next generation of leaders must start with a solid foundation in the early years. At a launch meeting with senior MoBSE officials, policymakers underscored parental activation as central to their vision for foundational learning. Lively Minds shared evidence from Ghana and Uganda showing that parent-led programmes yield measurable gains in children’s cognitive and health outcomes, which was met with enthusiasm. Site visits revealed systemic challenges - such as overcrowded classrooms and lack of materials – but also, a deep commitment from officials, teachers, and families. Crucially, stakeholders at all levels, including the Permanent Secretary, voiced readiness to embed parent-powered ECD models into national plans, affirming that activated families are key to improving early childhood outcomes.

Recommendations for ECD Sustainable Scale

The scoping missions reinforce that scaling ECD must be government-led and owned, schools- and parents-driven, and policy-integrated. Key lessons include:

• Government ownership and integration: Embed parent-powered ECD in country education systems. Ghana’s experience shows that a staged rollout with strong government leadership is critical. A recent assessment noted that ‘phased implementation, strategic partnerships, and strong government ownership improved early childhood development’ even amid funding and staffing challenges. Organisations should make sure their approach aligns with existing policies and national strategies and is co-developed with government institutions. Policymakers should then adopt such programmes as part of national ECD strategy and budget, ensuring ministries of education/ECD lead the delivery.

• Activate parents and communities: Recognise parents – especially mothers – as ’the sleeping giants’ of education. Provide them with simple, culturally appropriate training, materials and ongoing support to be their children’s first teachers. Lively Minds’ evidence shows rural parents willingly learn and sustain play-based activities at home and in community play-schemes once activated. Communities include all roles such as parents and caregivers, chiefs, Parent Teacher Associations and religious leaders to champion the programme.

• Policy and system integration: Institutionalise parent-powered ECD within existing policy frameworks and curricula. Leverage multiple delivery channels (e.g. radio, community health services) to reach the last mile. The Lively Minds model already demonstrates compatibility with public systems: the low-cost parenting course is now run in all schools and districts within Ghana, and radio programmes are broadcast nationally. Scaling sustainably will require formal inclusion of parenting support and ECD in education and health sector policies. Stakeholders should ensure alignment with international frameworks (e.g. the Nurturing Care agenda) and collaborate across sectors (education, health, social protection).

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The BBC and a Lively Minds podcast

In July 2025, we were thrilled to be contacted by William Kremer to say that the BBC World Service would like to come and visit Lively Minds to make a podcast as part of their People Fixing the World series.

William felt that our government-partnered approach to activating rural parents to provide quality early childhood development to their children was a strong example of innovative initiatives that the BBC wish to showcase as part of this series. Their particular interest was how the GES-LM programme supports parents to integrate play into their daily routines and activities with their children.

In September, William and his team visited Boufforkrum Kindergarten in Sunyani West to see the GES Lively Minds programme in action. They observed the play scheme, spoke with mothers, teachers, and Ghana Education Service staff, and gathered interviews for the upcoming podcast on play.  

The visit showcased how Mothers in rural areas are transforming early childhood education. Mothers shared their excitement, saying “𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘶𝘴.” Their smiles and energy showed the power of recognition of their time and energy, while district and regional leaders left inspired by the far-reaching impact of the programme.

Keep an ear out for the podcast broadcast in February 2026, and in the meantime do watch the highlights from their visit in this reel and see how play, learning, and community come together!

Walking the Talk: Reflections from ADEA Triennale 2025

By Fayudatu Yakubu, Country Director, Lively Minds Ghana

I returned from the ADEA Triennale 2025 in Accra deeply inspired, energised, and more committed than ever to the work we do at Lively Minds.

Held under the theme ‘Strengthening the resilience of Africa’s educational systems: Advancing towards ending learning poverty by 2035 with a well-educated and skilled workforce for the continent and beyond, the Triennale brought together ministers, policymakers, practitioners, researchers ,and community leaders from across Africa and beyond. It was not just a space for sharing ideas but a powerful call to action. The message was clear. Educational transformation is not something we simply talk about. It is something we must live, every day, through our work.

Participating in the conversations at ADEA strengthened my resolve to ensure that insights lead to action. For me, walking the talk means embedding evidence, data, language-sensitive pedagogy, and local innovation into our daily practice. Not as abstract concepts, but as practical tools that directly improve the lives of children and families.

My biggest personal takeaway was simple yet profound: we must keep walking the talk.

At Lively Minds, this means turning strong ideas into tangible change. Change that reaches classrooms, homes, and communities, particularly in rural areas where learning poverty is most severe.

It was a true honor to present at the Triennale on behalf of Lively Minds, alongside partners such as Sabre Education and Right To Play. Together, we demonstrated how collaboration and collective learning can drive meaningful improvements in early learning, teacher professional development, and play-based education.

Early years as the foundation for ending learning poverty

One message resonated throughout the Triennale. If we are serious about ending learning poverty, we must invest from the very beginning.

Discussions on data-driven decision-making, multilingual education, transition, and retention consistently reinforced the importance of early childhood and foundational learning. These early years form the bedrock of every child’s future. To walk the talk here is to ensure that every policy, programme, and classroom action prioritizes giving children the strong start they deserve.

This focus aligns directly with our mission at Lively Minds. We recognise the scale of the early childhood development crisis affecting millions of children globally, especially those growing up in rural communities across the global majority. We also know that this crisis has a solution.

Parents as the sleeping giants of early childhood development

During one of my presentations at the Triennale, I posed a question to the audience.

‘What if the greatest resource for early childhood development was available in every corner of every community in the world?’

The answer is parents.

Parents are the sleeping giants of early childhood development. Our evidence shows that when parents are activated as partners in learning, their children are a full year ahead of their peers, with healthier growth and stronger developmental outcomes. Through our low-cost, flexible parenting programme, delivered in in close partnership with governments, parents are empowered to turn their homes and daily routines into powerful learning environments.

A strong endorsement from government leadership

This belief in parents as part of the solution was powerfully reinforced by Dr Clement Abas Apaak, Deputy Minister for Education in Ghana, during his closing remarks at the Triennale.

Reflecting on the discussions, Dr Apaak noted that the answer to strengthening early childhood education often seems obvious yet is frequently overlooked. In his words,

‘It seems obvious, but we overlooked it. Parents.’

His remarks affirmed the importance of programmes that intentionally place parents at the centre of early learning and recognise them as essential partners in children’s development.

Hearing this level of government leadership openly acknowledge and support the role of parents was both encouraging and motivating. It reinforced our belief that meaningful, system-wide change is possible when evidence, policy, and community-based solutions align.

Sharing our expertise and ideas at the Lively Minds booth

My Lively Minds colleagues, National Government and Stakeholder Coordinator Mubarik Abdul-Rahman and Sustainability Specialist Joachim Paala Gornah held the fort at our engaging and interactive booth at the conference.

Using our basket of everyday objects such as spoons, stirring sticks, bags of flour, and cups supported us to demonstrate how these simple items, available in every house across Ghana and sub-Saharan Africa can be used to support play and games, early literacy and numeracy, stimulate conversations, and bring learning into the home.

One visitor to our booth, intrigued by our basket of objects captured parental power perfectly when they said, ‘What you are doing is something I have not seen before, involving parents in early childhood education.’ For us, this is not an add-on. It is central to building sustainable and inclusive education systems.

Investing in the people who make learning happen

Leadership, teacher development, and school-level innovation featured strongly throughout the Triennale. Education systems cannot transform unless the people who bring learning to life are empowered and supported.

During a plenary on school leadership, I shared a challenge we often observe in the Lively Minds’ context. Early childhood educators with strong technical expertise are frequently promoted into district or regional leadership roles. However, many struggle in these positions due to limited training in leadership and management.

Technical expertise alone is not enough. Effective leadership requires deliberate knowledge-building and ongoing professional development. At Lively Minds, we focus keenly on supporting leaders and the ‘middle tier,’ strengthening systems’ understanding of early childhood development, assuring sustained programme quality, and never assuming that a single training session is sufficient.

Across plenaries and side events, from EdTech and learning assessment to gender, inclusion, climate adaptation, and local financing, one message was consistent. Africa’s education transformation will be shaped by collaboration, evidence, and bold, African-led leadership.

Continuing the walk

As Country Director of Lively Minds Ghana, I left the ADEA Triennale more committed than ever to scaling what works with governments, staying true to our mission, and ensuring that no child, particularly those in rural communities, is left behind.

This conference reignited my passion to keep walking the talk. To translate ambition into action, collaboration into impact, and shared learning into lasting change.

Thank you to all the ministers, practitioners, researchers, partners, and communities who shared, listened, questioned, and committed. The work continues, and I am proud to be part of it.