ABU DHABI, (Pakistan Point News - 01st May, 2020) His Highness Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince’s Court and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA), launched a project to advance services and resources of the early childhood sector in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
The project fosters efforts aimed at attaining early childhood development by focusing on health and nutrition, early care and education, safeguarding children and their rights, and supporting family to take care of their children.
Launching the initiative came during a virtual meeting chaired by Sheikh Theyab, and attended by ECA’s executive directors. Sheikh Theyab reviewed progress in ECA’s work regarding the early childhood development plan in coordination with relevant authorities in the current circumstances, in addition to the most important issues and opportunities of this sector.
He pointed to the importance of supporting the entities promoting children and their surrounding environment, by providing them with programmes, initiatives, experiences and necessary recommendations, to enhance their role in serving the society.
During the meeting, Sheikh Theyab also reviewed the holistic strategy for early childhood in the emirate. He approved a number of regulations and initiatives of the child protection program, including an initiative to prepare and qualify child protection specialists in Abu Dhabi, in accordance with Wadeema's Law and in cooperation with ECA’s strategic partners. This aims at enabling parents and caregivers to understand and apply the provisions of this law, to ensure treating children based on sound scientific and educational basis.
Moreover, Sheikh Theyab was briefed on ECA’s support to startups operating in the early childhood sector, in addition to impact of this support on enhancing the emirate’s strategy. He also reviewed a number of promising initiatives to ensure child protection in these circumstances.
Furthermore, Sheikh Theyab highlighted the necessity to analyse global and local data, and the cultural and social variables affecting the early childhood sector. He stressed the importance of exploiting the big data, artificial intelligence and current circumstances in qualifying the human capital in the early childhood sector to be more resilient to crises, and turning such circumstances into opportunities benefiting the society and the nation, thus achieving sustainable development in this vital sector at all times and under any circumstances.
Sheikh Theyab further emphasized the importance of launching initiatives to support the early childhood sector, provided they should be consistent with the current situation, to serve the family and children in early childhood.
Additionally, Sheikh Theyab ordered the launching of "Children Innovation Sessions" program, which features interactive sessions bringing together specialists, researchers, innovators, children, parents and stakeholders from the public and private sectors, to work as one team on finding innovative and sustainable solutions for children-related issues, utilizing the international experience in various fields.
Sheikh Theyab approved ECA’s plans and programs aim at supporting partners, strengthening their efforts in supporting the early childhood sector, and emphasising their role in protecting children, especially those with disabilities, and preserving their mental health in these exceptional circumstances. He also reviewed ECA’s programme to count and assess all resources and services offered to the early childhood sector in Abu Dhabi, to formulate appropriate plans, policies and programmes with the aim of advancing services and preserving resources.
