South Africa: Cabinet Approves ECD Children's Amendment Bill - Parliament Must Carry Over the Line

By Daniel Peter Al-Naddaf

The approval by Cabinet of the Children's Act Amendment Bill is a major milestone for young children and the practitioners caring for them. But the promise of reform will only be felt when more Early Childhood Development (ECD) programmes can register, more eligible children are funded, and Parliament passes the Bill without delay.

For too long, South Africa's (SA's) ECD system has locked out the very children who need it most.

More than five years ago, ECD practitioners across the country read a Bill meant to support them, and rejected it. Through over 1,600 submissions, they told Parliament it failed to reflect the realities of ECD programmes in their homes, churches, community halls, townships, informal settlements and rural villages.

Real Reform for ECD was born at that moment.

In 2020, a Children's Amendment Bill tabled before Parliament missed the mark. It failed to address the systemic barriers that prevent ECD programmes from registering, accessing support and reaching the children who need them most. Fast forward to 7 May 2026, there is a reason to celebrate.

Cabinet approved a revised Children's Act Amendment Bill on 7 May 2026 that goes a long way towards addressing systemic challenges that have long held the sector back, marking a major milestone for SA's young children and the ECD practitioners who care for them.

This moment has been years in the making. It represents a significant victory for the thousands of practitioners who joined forces to demand real reform for the ECD sector - reform...

Read the full story on Daily Maverick.

Copyright © 2026 Daily Maverick. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.