Invest · Project 03
ECD Support Network: seeding sustainable centres
Help existing centres become compliant, well-run and able to prove their impact.
- Stage
- Programme design
- Investment
- Per-centre support packages
Costed per centre with each partner; no per-centre budget is published yet. Sunbeam is to be the first pilot.
The need
Why this matters
Many ECD centres in disadvantaged and rural communities work hard with very little: no registration, limited training, little business support and no way to show funders the difference they make.
What we’ve learned: Flow’s own work with centres found the same pressures again and again: funding that arrives late or unevenly, registration that is slow and costly, owners who cannot borrow, and municipal fees and delays. Only 43% of children in early learning programmes are on track to thrive by five (Thrive by Five Index 2021). The model answers with assessment, registration support, training, business systems, nutrition and parent feedback, measured by a twice-yearly review and child assessments.
The project
What we’ll deliver
- 01Get centres to compliance and registration, unlocking access to resources
- 02Practitioner and principal training for age-appropriate learning
- 03Basic business training for ECD owners
- 04Monthly food support and a daily portion for every child, with own-grown vegetables as the goal
- 05Regular feedback between the centre and families
- 06A twice-yearly review and child assessments across five learning areas, so partners see measurable outcomes
Stock images are illustrative and do not show Flow centres. The picture at the top of this page is also a stock image.
Roadmap
From commitment to impact
- 01
Pilot
Finish Sunbeam and record what registration takes
- 02
Assess
Baseline: compliance, learning, wellbeing
- 03
Support
Training, business and nutrition
- 04
Report
Progress shared with every partner
Investment
Where the money goes
Support is costed per centre with each partner; no per-centre budget is published yet.
- TrainingPractitioners and principals
- RegistrationA norms-and-standards review, the fixes and support through registration
- Business systemsEnrolment, fee and reporting tools, and bookkeeping
- NutritionMonthly food support and a daily portion per child
- MeasurementChild assessments and progress reporting
Partner roles
How each partner makes it happen
Companies
Adopt a centre or a cluster for a year; fund training, nutrition or measurement; offer skills-based volunteering.
Government
Partner on registration, practitioner qualifications and quality frameworks for early learning.
Municipalities
Help locate and convene centres in each ward; support compliance with zoning, health and safety.
Get involved
Good centres stay open when they are registered, well run and supported.
Flow Foundation is a volunteer-run South African non-profit building the foundations children and young people need, from the first classroom to the first job. Here are three ways to help this project move forward.