BY SOPHIA NG
Early childhood development (ECD) in China has been an area of growing interest among researchers and practitioners. Today, it is beginning to take centre stage.
The recent inclusion of ECD into China’s national economic planning framework marks a significant shift—not just in policy, but in how the earliest years of life are understood. For those working in this space, it signals that early childhood is no longer seen as a peripheral social issue, but as a foundational investment in the country’s long-term development.
This moment reflects a convergence that has been building over time at APC. Through convening philanthropists and ecosystem partners, we have seen increasing alignment—across sectors and geographies—on the importance of investing in the earliest years.
The inclusion of ECD in China’s 15th Five-Year Plan underscores this shift. Accompanied by RMB 90 billion in earmarked funding, it points to a growing commitment to strengthen public childcare, expand access to early childhood services, and integrate developmental support into existing systems. More importantly, it creates the conditions for these efforts to scale across provinces.
This policy momentum did not emerge overnight. It builds on years of groundwork by a diverse ecosystem—researchers generating evidence, practitioners piloting solutions, and philanthropies supporting experimentation and learning.
One such effort is the China ECD Collaborative Fund, launched in September 2024 by six funders—a RMB 60 million pooled initiative focused on improving outcomes for children aged 0–3 in under-resourced communities. The fund, which APC helped convene and develop—from shaping its strategic direction to designing its operating and governance models—emerged from a nine-month learning journey among philanthropic and ecosystem partners, grounded in a shared realisation: that the challenges facing early childhood development in China are both large in scale and deeply interconnected.
“We came together because we realised how big and complex the challenges in ECD are in China—8 million children across the ages of 0 to 3 are potentially affected, and no funder could possibly address it alone,” said Lionel Li of Li Foundation, one of the philanthropic partners supporting the initiative. “By working together, we pool not only funding, but also our ideas, expertise, and networks.”
The collaborative brings together a wide range of actors—including XinHe Foundation, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, Tanoto Foundation, Gates Foundation and Yeh Family Philanthropy — alongside researchers and implementation partners. Each contributing different strengths, from technical expertise to networks and on-the-ground experience.
At the heart of the collaborative is what Lionel describes as a “顶天立地” approach—a model that works simultaneously across multiple layers of the system. At the national level, efforts focus on policy advocacy to elevate ECD as a priority and unlock public investment. At the community level, public education initiatives promote simple, positive caregiving behaviours, particularly in rural areas. At the township level, partners pilot and refine service delivery models that can be scaled over time.
From APC’s vantage point, this approach offers an important lesson: progress in ECD does not come from a single intervention, but from alignment across systems. Policy creates the enabling environment, community engagement shapes behaviour, and local models translate ideas into practice. In this context, philanthropy plays a catalytic role in connecting these layers and helping insights travel between them.
This work is supported by implementation partners such as the China Foundation for Rural Development (CFRD) and the China Development Research Foundation (CDRF), whose deep local and policy expertise has been critical in piloting solutions and contributing to policy breakthroughs.
Perhaps most notably, the collaborative reflects a broader shift in the field itself—from fragmented efforts to a more shared, coordinated approach.
“What’s been most encouraging is the growing sense that the ECD field in China is becoming a shared responsibility,” Lionel observed. “We’re seeing philanthropic organisations, researchers, and ecosystem partners come together to create both direct and systems-level change.”
Researchers continue to ensure that programmes are grounded in evidence, while local governments and service providers have shown increasing openness to new approaches. Together, these efforts are helping to build both momentum and credibility for ECD at multiple levels.
Still, the work ahead remains significant. Policy recognition is an important step, but translating it into meaningful outcomes for children and families will require sustained effort.
“With public funding now unlocked for families, philanthropy should help guide them to adopt the right behaviours and services that are critical for a child’s development,” Lionel added. Initiatives such as accessible, science-based parenting content delivered through digital platforms are being explored to support caregivers in adopting simple but impactful daily practices.
As China continues to prioritise early childhood development, this moment represents more than a policy milestone. It reflects what becomes possible when philanthropy, policy, and practice begin to move in step—creating the conditions for more children, particularly those in under-resourced communities, to thrive in their earliest years.