Participants of the National Conference on Early Childhood Development (ECD) have called for stronger collective efforts to scale up caregiver and parental capacity, strengthen financing, infrastructures, and leverage information and communication technology (ICT) to nurture a capable and healthy generation.

The call was made during the fifth National ECD Conference, which opened in Kigali on January 15, 2026 and brought together government officials, development partners, civil society, and experts to review progress, share innovations, and agree on strategies to accelerate outcomes for young children.

Speaking at the opening of the conference, the Minister of Gender and Family Promotion, Consolee Uwimana, said Rwanda has made commendable progress since the National Early Childhood Development Policy was established in 2016, with tangible improvements already transforming the lives of children and their families

“Among the achievements are the expansion of ECD centers closer to communities, capacity building for parents and caregivers, improved teaching and learning materials, and stronger coordination among partners,” Uwimana said.

“However, challenges remain, including uneven service quality, gaps in infrastructure and equipment, and the need to reach more parents with behavior change communication messages that support healthy child development.” She added.

The National Child Development Agency (NCDA) Director General, Ingabire Assumpta highlighted significant growth over the past five years. The number of ECD centers has expanded from a few pilot sites to 32,205 centers nationwide. Child enrollment rose sharply from 297,021 in 2020 to 1,165,384 in 2025, served by more than 101,800 caregivers.

The implementation review of the fourth ECD conference resolutions highlights notable progress in private sector engagement, including 45 workplace ECD centers in tea plantations, mining sites, and markets, the development of harmonized ECD standards, and integration of early disability detection.

The review noted persistent gaps, including shortages of specialized trainers for children with disabilities and the need for stronger monitoring of inclusive home based ECD centres.

As Rwanda advances the use of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, to track ECD services and outcomes, conference participants emphasized that future innovations must build on existing systems while remaining child-centered and results-oriented.