Patrick Makokoro - University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

While much has been done to address the situation ofchildren around the world, much more needs to be done toensure that the rights of all children are protected and that theyare able to live up to their full potential. More needs to be donespecifically to address the low funding and resource allocation toEarly Childhood Development (ECD), slow implementation ofpolices, limited access to services particularly by the poor andvulnerable, variability in the quality of services as well as the lackof coordination amongst service providers in different sectors. Asmore country early childhood development networks emerge, itis important to look at the role advocacy networks play inensuring that children are supported through holistic efforts thatmeet their health, nutrition, educational and cognitivedevelopmental needs. This paper takes a case study approachlooking at the impact of Advocacy Networks and the role playedby the Zimbabwe Network of Early Childhood DevelopmentActors in addressing early childhood development policy gaps andmembership challenges in Zimbabwe.While much has been done to address the situation ofchildren around the world, much more needs to be done toensure that the rights of all children are protected and that theyare able to live up to their full potential. More needs to be donespecifically to address the low funding and resource allocation toEarly Childhood Development (ECD), slow implementation ofpolices, limited access to services particularly by the poor andvulnerable, variability in the quality of services as well as the lackof coordination amongst service providers in different sectors. Asmore country early childhood development networks emerge, itis important to look at the role advocacy networks play inensuring that children are supported through holistic efforts thatmeet their health, nutrition, educational and cognitivedevelopmental needs. This paper takes a case study approachlooking at the impact of Advocacy Networks and the role playedby the Zimbabwe Network of Early Childhood DevelopmentActors in addressing early childhood development policy gaps andmembership challenges in Zimbabwe.

Advocacy, Early childhood development, Advocacy networks