Early Years Act: ECCD System for ages 0-8

Recognizes ages 0 to 8 years as critical for educational development.
Ages 0 to 4 under Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Council.
Ages 5 to 8 under Department of Education (DepED).
Institutionalizes a National ECCD System that is comprehensive, integrative, sustainable.
Involves multisectoral collaboration across government, communities, private and public sectors.
Promotes inclusion of children with special needs, reasonable accommodation, accessible environments.
Advocates cultural and linguistic diversity, including Filipino Sign Language.
Supports parents as primary caregivers and first teachers.

Improve infant and child survival via accessible health and nutrition programs.
Enhance physical, socio-emotional, cognitive, language, psychological, spiritual development.
Facilitate smooth transition from home care to school-based educational settings.
Prepare children for formal learning starting from kindergarten.
Establish early identification, prevention, referral, intervention systems for children with special needs.
Upgrade capabilities of ECCD service providers through training and compliance with quality standards.
Reinforce parents' roles as primary caregivers.
Support disadvantaged and linguistic minority communities.
Ensure quality standards of ECCD programs via registration and credentialing.
Ensure education for children who are blind, deaf, or deafblind in most appropriate languages and modes.
Employ qualified teachers including those skilled in sign language and braille.

ECCD System: range of health, nutrition, education, social programs for ages 0-4.
ECCD Service Providers: professionals and volunteers responsible for ECCD (day care workers, social workers, health workers, etc.).
ECCD Curriculum: developmentally appropriate educational objectives, activities, and assessment for 0-4 years inclusive of national goals.
Parent Education: formal and informal methods to educate and support parents as primary caregivers and educators.

National ECCD Program implementation guided by quality standards and monitoring framework.
Components include:
1. ECCD Curriculum focused on total child development, socio-cultural appropriateness, child’s first language.
2. Parent Education, Involvement, Advocacy, Community Mobilization.
3. Human Resource Development for professionalization and credentialing.
4. ECCD Management for planning, supervision, finance, monitoring, evaluation.

Applies to all local government units to achieve universal coverage for children ages 0-4.

ECCD Council responsible for national standards, policies, compliance, supporting providers.
Annual coordination workshop among DepED, DSWD, DOH, NNC, and ULAP for planning and technical assistance.
Role of DepED includes recognizing ECCD as learning foundation and promotion.
LGUs to allocate funds from SEF and GAD Funds to support ECCD programs, facilities, professional development.
Families and communities to support through participation in health, nutrition, social, education projects.

Attaches ECCD Council to DepED for better focus and sustained multi-agency collaboration.

Governing Board composed of key Secretaries and experts, chaired by DepED Secretary.
Council Secretariat headed by an Executive Director to coordinate implementation and monitoring.

Promulgate policies and guidelines.
Establish ECCD program standards compatible with kindergarten curriculum.
Develop national systems for recruitment, registration, accreditation, continuing education, credentialing.
Develop award and recognition systems.
Coordinate and monitor ECCD programs of government agencies.
Evaluate program impact with information systems.
Establish early identification and referral systems.
Mobilize public and private resources prioritizing needy children.
Provide funds to poor communities for program establishment and expansion.
Encourage private sector participation.
Regulate solicitations and resource generation.
Perform additional functions as needed.

Initial funding from current budgets of DepED, DSWD, DOH, NNC.
Continuing funding included in annual General Appropriations Act.
PAGCOR to provide P500 million annually for five years for National Child Development Centers.
Funds remitted quarterly to ECCD special account.

ECCD Council to issue rules and regulations within 60 days of act’s effectivity.

Unconstitutional provisions do not affect remaining provisions which continue in force.

Act takes effect 15 days after publication in Official Gazette or two newspapers of general circulation.