Early years breakthrough as Brazil launches bold national childhood policy
The visionary plan, which will transform the lives of millions of children, comes after months of tireless advocacy by Act For Early Years campaign partners in Brazil.
In a huge win for the Act For Early Years campaign, Brazil’s President Lula da Silva has launched a bold plan to support the wellbeing and development of the country’s youngest children.
The new National Integrated Policy for Early Childhood will transform the lives of millions of children and strengthen Brazil’s role as a global leader in tackling inequality from the start of life.
The announcement comes after months of tireless advocacy by Act For Early Years partners in Brazil. A single national database will be created and agencies dealing with education, health, social assistance and security will work together to meet the specific needs of each child and their families.
More than half of Brazilian children up to the age of six – about 10 million – live in low-income families. Many lack access to daycare and basic sanitation, and face declining vaccination rates and risk of domestic violence.
Mariana Luz, CEO of Act For Early Years partner the Maria Cecilia Souto Vidigal Foundation, was with President Lula da Silva at the signing of the new policy. She said: “The more coordinated the actions of the federal, state and municipal governments are, the faster and more effective the responses and economic returns for Brazil will be.
“This is what politics brings – the opportunity to look at children as a whole so that we can break the cycles of inequality and provide Brazil’s many young children with a fair beginning.”
At the launch, Minister of Education Camilo Santana said: “Coordinating this policy is an intersectoral challenge, in collaboration with various ministries and federal entities, but we are ready for the job. It is Brazil united for the full development of our children.”
The Act For Early Years campaign, launched by Theirworld in 2023, is dedicated to ensuring all children have access to quality early childhood development, care and preschool education. Investing in a child’s earliest years is one of the most powerful ways to break cycles of poverty and inequality.
This is a truly transformative moment ... the latest in a growing wave of global leadership on early childhood.
Justin van Fleet, Theirworld President
Theirworld and Act For Early Years worked tirelessly for 18 months in the lead-up to the G20 summit in Brazil in 2024. The campaign met with Brazilian President Lula da Silva and handed over a letter signed by more than 150 early childhood organisations from around the world. Act For Early Years built a network of Brazilian partner organisations and mobilised Theirworld Global Youth Ambassadors to make sure the voices of the youngest children were heard.
At the G20 summit in Rio last year, there was a major breakthrough when the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty was launched, with a major focus on early childhood care and education.
Reacting to Brazil’s new plan to support children, Theirworld President Justin van Fleet said: “This bold and visionary policy is a win for the Act For Early Years campaign and the remarkable efforts of our partner organisations in Brazil, who have worked so hard to bring about real change.
“This is a truly transformative moment – not only for Brazil but for our shared global journey to secure action for the early years. It is the latest in a growing wave of global leadership on early childhood.”
In March, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the largest early years investment in the country’s history, aiming to reach 1.3 million more children. In May, Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr signed a landmark new law to guarantee holistic care and early learning, especially for children with disabilities.
Other countries where early childhood is increasingly being recognised as critical to recovery and long-term resilience include Singapore, Canada, Rwanda, UAE, Morocco, UK, Japan, Australia, Ukraine and Jordan.
Van Fleet added: “Countries are watching each other, learning from one another and stepping up. A new global movement is taking shape – rooted in rising political will, growing ambition and the courage to act for the next generation.”