Early Years Act: ECCD System for ages 0-8

Policy, purpose, and priority age ranges

The State must promote children’s rights to survival, development and special protection, recognizing the nature of childhood and the need for developmentally appropriate experiences under Section 2.
The State must support parents as children’s first teachers and primary caregivers under Section 2.
The Act recognizes the age from zero (0) to eight (8) years as the first crucial stage of educational development under Section 2.
The age zero (0) to four (4) years is assigned to the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Council under Section 2.
Responsibility for formative years between age five (5) to eight (8) years belongs to the Department of Education (DepED) under Section 2.
The Act institutionalizes a National System for Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) that is comprehensive, integrative and sustainable, involving multisectoral and interagency collaboration at national and local levels under Section 2.
The ECCD System must promote inclusion of children with special needs, provide reasonable accommodation and accessible environments for children with disabilities, and advocate respect for cultural and linguistic diversity under Section 2.
The ECCD System must include advocacy for the use of Filipino Sign Language as the visual language of the deaf community under Section 2.
The Act anchors ECCD on complementary strategies that include service delivery for age zero (0) to four (4) years, educating parents and caregivers, encouraging active involvement of parents and communities, and raising awareness about efforts that improve young children’s and families’ quality of life under Section 2.

Core definitions under the ECCD System

ECCD System refers to the full range of health, nutrition, early education and social services development programs for young children from age zero (0) to four (4) years, promoting optimum growth and development under Section 4(a).
ECCD System includes center-based programs and home-based programs under Section 4(a).
Center-based programs include, among others: the day care service under Republic Act No. 6972 (Barangay Level Total Development and Protection of Children Act), community or church-based early childhood education programs, workplace-related child care and education programs, child-minding centers, health centers and stations under Section 4(a)(1).
Home-based programs include, among others: neighborhood-based play groups, family child care programs, parent education and home visiting programs under Section 4(a)(2).
ECCD Service Providers include professionals, paraprofessionals and volunteer caregivers responsible for care and education of young children from age zero (0) to four (4) years through centers and home-based programs under Section 4(b).
ECCD Curriculum refers to developmentally appropriate objectives and practices, organized learning experiences, recommended learning materials and appropriate assessment for children from age zero (0) to four (4) years implemented through center and home-based programs under Section 4(c).
Parent Education refers to formal and alternative means of providing parents information, skills, and support systems to assist parents as primary caregivers and educators, linked to center, home and media-based programs under Section 4(d).

Coverage and universal application

The National ECCD System applies to all provinces, cities, municipalities and barangays as determined by the ECCD Council to achieve universal ECCD coverage for all children from age zero (0) to four (4) years under Section 6.
The ECCD System is designed to provide holistic needs coverage for young children from age zero (0) to four (4) years under Section 4(a).
ECCD curriculum and ECCD services under Section 4 specifically cover children from age zero (0) to four (4) years.

ECCD system framework and components

The ECCD System must implement the National ECCD Program in accordance with quality standards for accreditation and must establish a National ECCD Monitoring and Evaluation Framework under Section 5.
The ECCD System includes four components under Section 5(a)-(d).
The ECCD Curriculum must focus on children’s total development, consider age, individual and socio-cultural appropriateness, and promote complementary and integrative services for health, nutrition, early childhood education, sanitation and cultural activities, using the child’s first language as the medium of instruction under Section 5(a).
Parent Education and Involvement, Advocacy and Mobilization of Communities must harness parents’ strengths as home providers, partners with other stakeholders, advocates for community concerns affecting children, and pillars of support for local and national ECCD programs through community organization under Section 5(b).
The Human Resource Development Program must professionalize ECCD service providers through enrollment in educational programs (site-based or distance education), through pre-service or in-service training including continuing education, and through development of a registration and credential system under the ECCD System under Section 5(c).
ECCD Management consists of continuing planning, implementation, supervision, financial management, monitoring, evaluation and reporting, and must encourage active involvement and build capabilities of service providers, parents and local government officials under Section 5(d).
ECCD curriculum must be carried out through objectives, practices, organized learning experiences, materials and appropriate assessment for children from age zero (0) to four (4) years under Section 4(c).

Implementation, councils, and responsibilities

The ECCD Council is responsible for implementing the National ECCD System under Section 7.
The ECCD Council must establish national standards, develop policies and programs, ensure compliance, and provide technical assistance and support to ECCD service providers in consultation with coordinating committees at provincial, city, municipal and barangay levels under Section 7(a).
The DepED, DSWD, DOH, NNC, and ULAP must meet in an annual workshop to prepare work and financial plans coordinating technical assistance and support for the National ECCD Program under Section 7(a).
The DepED must recognize the National ECCD Program as the foundation of the learning continuum and promote it for all children from age zero (0) to four (4) years under Section 7(a)(1).
The DepED, DSWD, DOH and NNC must provide continuing professional development program support, supplementary learning materials, reference materials, supplemental nutrition and health care services under Section 7(a)(2).
LGUs must allocate from their Special Education Fund (SEF) and Gender and Development (GAD) Fund, in addition to other local funds, for ECCD Program purposes under Section 7(b).
LGUs must: support implementation of their ECCD Program; organize and support parent cooperatives for community-based ECCD programs; provide counterpart funds for continuing professional development of ECCD public service providers; and provide facilities for conduct of the ECCD Program under Section 7(b)(1)-(4).
Families and communities must support local ECCD programs by participating in community-based projects such as health, nutrition, social development and early childhood education projects under Section 7(c).
The ECCD Council must be strengthened and attached to the DepED to ensure a strong foundation for children from age zero (0) to four (4) years and sustained interagency and multisectoral collaboration under Section 8.

ECCD Council organization, meetings, and functions

The ECCD Council includes an ECCD Governing Board under Section 9(a).
The ECCD Governing Board members are: (1) Secretary of DepED as ex officio Chairperson; (2) Executive Director of the ECCD Council as Vice Chairperson; (3) Secretary of DSWD as member; (4) Secretary of DOH as member; (5) Executive Director of NNC as member; (6) President of ULAP as member; and (7) one (1) private individual who is an ECCD practitioner and expert appointed by the President upon recommendation of the Board as member under Section 9(a)(1)-(7).
The ECCD Governing Board must meet once a month or upon the call of the Chairperson or three (3) members of the Board under Section 9(a).
The ECCD Council has an ECCD Council Secretariat headed by an Executive Director under Section 9(b).
The Secretariat provides support services for coordination and monitoring of policies and plans formulated by the Council, subject to the Compensation and Position Classification System and other existing civil service rules and regulations under Section 9(b).
The ECCD Council must carry out functions to implement the objectives of the National ECCD System under Section 10.
The ECCD Council must: promulgate policies and implement guidelines for ECCD programs in consultation with stakeholders (including regional level when appropriate); establish ECCD program standards interfacing with DepED’s kindergarten curriculum; develop a national system for recruitment, registration, accreditation, continuing education, equivalency, and credentials for ECCD service providers, supervisors and administrators; develop a national awards and recognition system; promote and coordinate ECCD programs of DepED, DSWD, DOH and NNC and monitor nationwide service delivery; evaluate and assess impact/outcome through an effective information system; develop a national system for early identification, screening and surveillance of young children (age zero (0) to four (4)); develop support mechanisms maximizing public and private resources prioritizing needy and high risk children from poor communities; provide funds for poor and disadvantaged communities for establishment and expansion of public ECCD programs, improvement of physical facilities, and hiring ECCD service providers; promote private sector initiatives; provide guidelines for solicitations from local and international civic organizations and request private foundations to supplement resources; and perform other functions it deems necessary under Section 10(a)-(l).

Financing, appropriations, and program funding

Initial implementation costs of the Act must be charged against the current year’s appropriations of DepED, DSWD, DOH and NNC under Section 11(a).
After the initial implementation, the amounts needed for continued implementation must be included in the annual General Appropriations Act (GAA) under Section 11(a).
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation must contribute PHP 500,000,000.00 per year for five (5) years from its gross income to fund establishment of National Child Development Centers and conversion of existing Day Care Centers into Child Development Centers in various LGUs, upon approval of the Act under Section 11(b).
The contributed amount must be directly remitted in four (4) quarterly installments to a special account of the ECCD Council under Section 11(b).
ECCD programs must be financed through a combination of public and private funds under Section 12(a).
All public ECCD program providers must prioritize children from age zero (0) to four (4) years from families in greatest need who can least afford private ECCD programs under Section 12(a).
DepED, DSWD and DOH must support the implementation of the National ECCD System by providing financial and technical support packages to ECCD programs under Section 12(a).
LGUs must be encouraged to support public ECCD programs locally, and additional funds may be generated from intergovernmental donors and government financial institutions to support public programs including the urban poor under Section 12(b).
An ECCD Program Contracting Scheme fund must be established for contracting accredited private providers at community levels under Section 12(b).
Fees and contributions collected for both public and private ECCD programs must be monitored by the ECCD Council to ensure they are affordable and within reasonable limits under Section 12(c).
Families are encouraged to contribute their time and services to support ECCD programs under Section 12(c).

Reporting, implementing rules, and compliance timeline

The ECCD Council must submit annual physical and financial reports to Congress at the close of each calendar year under Section 13(a).
The annual report must provide a detailed account of the Council’s proceedings and accomplishments and must include recommendations to improve the National ECCD System under Section 13(a).
The annual reporting must ensure achievement of universal coverage of ECCD benefits for all children from age zero (0) to four (4) years within a period of five (5) years under Section 13(a).
The ECCD Council must formulate and issue necessary Implementing Rules and Regulations within sixty (60) days after effectivity, in consultation with appropriate government agencies and nongovernment organizations under Section 14(a).

Repeal, separability, and effectivity

Republic Act No. 8980 (An Act Promulgating a Comprehensive Policy and a National System for Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD), Providing Funds Therefor and For Other Purposes) is repealed under Section 15(a).
All laws, decrees, executive orders, presidential proclamations, rules and regulations or parts thereof that are contrary to or inconsistent with the Act are repealed or modified accordingly under Section 15(b).
Any portion of the Act declared unconstitutional will not affect other portions that remain in full force and effect under Section 16.
The Act takes effect fifteen (15) days after publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation under Section 17.