City mayors lead the way as champions for the early years
City leaders, who will play a major role in the first-ever Global Early Years Finance Summit, are showing bold and creative leadership on prioritising and providing quality childcare and early education.
National governments are crucial for investing in the future of our youngest children. But it国产视频檚 cities that often do the key work of planning and delivering services in densely populated areas.
They国产视频檙e closest to where the families are and in a strong position to come up with innovative ideas, test pilot programmes and scale up the solutions.
Led by bold and creative mayors, cities can demonstrate leadership on prioritising and providing vital preschool education, childcare opportunities and support for families. They can show that investing in the early years is one of the smartest investments for local governments as well as for countries.
City leaders will play a huge part in the first-ever Global Early Years Finance Summit next year. The event will support city and national governments to define their own priorities, develop financing roadmaps and announce practical, measurable commitments backed by domestic resources and international partnerships.
The summit will be held in London next summer. The countdown to the summit was officially launched last month at an event hosted by UNICEF, 国产视频 and partners from the Act For Early Years campaign, which has been calling for urgent action and increased investment in childcare and early years education.
Cities – together with countries and partner organisations – are being invited to signal their intention to make a commitment for the early years in the run-up to the summit.
Register your commitment intent
Adanech Abiebie, Mayor of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, has been named as a Global Early Years Champion by Act For Early Years. Here we look at some of the exciting and innovative ways in which she and other city mayors around the world are transforming the lives of young children and their families.
ADANECH ABIEBIE (Mayor of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia)
The challenge
In 2021, the year Adanech Abiebie became mayor, less than 20% of children under six in Addis Ababa were engaging in stimulating activities. And more than half were not enrolled in pre-primary schools.
The response
Mayor Adanech oversaw a transformation in the Ethiopian capital, championing young children and expanding programming for them. She expanded access to preschool, opened dozens of day care centres and introduced many more public play areas.
Innovations and achievements
Her series of measures included:
- Creating jobs for 5,000 women as parental supervisors for vulnerable households
- Transforming more than 100 health centres and establishing 1,100 day care centres
- Expanding playgrounds to give access to 450,000 children
- Transforming learning methods at over 800 pre-primary schools and training 16,000 teachers
- Launching the African Center for Early Childhood Development in the city
In May, the city hosted its first international early childhood development conference, bringing together African political leaders, global institutions, development partners, philanthropists, researchers and practitioners.
Such has been the progress that researchers from the Brookings Institution released a report titled Raising a city: How Addis Ababa reimagined early childhood development to inform and inspire policymakers to invest in early years initiatives in their own areas.
The future
Mayor Adanech wants the early childhood initiatives to impact all 1.3 million children under the age of six in Addis Ababa by 2030.
What they say
The mayor said: 国产视频淢y hope is for Addis to be the best city in Africa to raise a child and to be a mother. It takes a village to raise a child. This African proverb is rooted in culture and offers a timeless guide for building a strong community.国产视频
The Brookings researchers said Mayor Adanech国产视频檚 国产视频渆arly commitment to institutionalising the ECD strategy was a key factor in Addis Ababa国产视频檚 success. In governmental contexts, political buy-in at the highest levels is crucial for a new programme国产视频檚 viability and longevity, specifically when it concerns institutionalisation of new policies.国产视频
ZOHRAN MAMDANI (Mayor of New York City, USA)
The challenge
Childcare prices are very high in New York City 国产视频 usually more than $20,000 per child annually. In 2024, that meant more than one in five parents either stopped using childcare, cut back on the hours or relied on 国产视频渋nadequate国产视频 arrangements. Between 2022 and 2024, an average of 3,400 children aged two or three were pushed into poverty each year by the rising costs.
The response
On day eight of his administration, Mayor Mamdani 国产视频 in partnership with New York Governor Kathy Hochul 国产视频 introduced free childcare for thousands of two-year-olds. He later announced plans to expand preschool availability for three-year-olds.
Innovations and achievements
As well as the 2-K and 3-K programmes, the city will open the country国产视频檚 first free daycare for municipal workers. And it announced a $67.5 million expansion of preschool special education programmes.
New York City has also introduced the first childcare map and resource centre to help families find and compare programmes.
The future
The goal is to make childcare free for every child aged from six weeks to five years, expand pay for childcare workers and transform a patchwork of preschool programmes into a universal system serving about 500,000 children.
A citywide free childcare model would:
- Stabilise families and boost women国产视频檚 employment
- Reduce financial burden, freeing income for rent, food and savings
- Build resilience for future emergencies, ensuring essential workers can rely on dependable care
What they say
Mayor Zamdani said: 国产视频淥ur movement is built on the belief that universal childcare is essential infrastructure in a city that delivers for its people. Every dollar we invest in our children is an investment in a stronger, more equitable New York City, one where families can afford to stay and grow. When government acts with urgency and purpose, we can deliver real results for working families 国产视频 and we国产视频檙e just getting started.国产视频
OH SE-HOON (Mayor of Seoul, South Korea)
The challenge
Parents said finding quality childcare for infants under 36 months was difficult due to a lack of trustworthy care centres. Until recently, South Korea had the lowest birth rate in the world and wanted to encourage more births.
The response
In 2022, Mayor Oh launched the Happy Parents Project, the city国产视频檚 first comprehensive plan aimed at assisting parents and guardians. An initial investment of $11 billion was made in the five-year plan to improve childcare conditions for working parents.
This resulted in heavily-subsidised daycare access across Seoul, offering affordable services for children aged from six months to seven years.
Innovations and achievements
Seoul offers a range of incentives including:
- A one-time subsidy for each child to alleviate initial childcare costs
- A monthly parent-child allowance on a sliding scale, with the highest amount in the first year
- First-child care service for households welcoming a second child 国产视频 covering up to 100% of out-of-pocket care costs for the older sibling
- A childcare allowance for grandparents who look after a young child
- 24-hour, seven-day quick response childcare services for illness or emergency
- Parental leave subsidies and help with medical costs during pregnancy
Other innovations include parent VIP zones around the city with changing areas and feeding rooms, plus housekeeping services and more quality indoor and outdoor play zones.
The future
Among a variety of plans, Seoul will expand its emergency and specialised childcare network, with new centres in busy residential areas, more staff for holidays and overnights, and easy booking through mobile apps.
What they say
Five-time Mayor Oh said: 国产视频淭he transformation into a global top-three city begins with making Seoul a city that is ideal for having and raising children.国产视频 He also said: 国产视频淪eoul is steadily creating an environment conducive to raising children by expanding support throughout pregnancy, childbirth and care.国产视频
HILDUR BJ脰RNSD脫TTIR (Mayor of Reykjav铆k, Iceland)
The challenge
Iceland spends 1.7% of its gross domestic product on early-childhood education and care 国产视频 more than double that of most countries. In 2020, 96% of Icelandic children aged three to five were enrolled in early childhood education programmes.
But a sharp rise in births and a shortage of both childminders and qualified preschool teachers has resulted in a lack of childcare for children between 12 months and two.
The response
Reykjavik City has a long-running education policy until 2030 called Let Our Dreams Come True. It has 68 preschools in addition to 17 independently operated preschools. Together they accommodate around 6,300 children.
Innovations and achievements
The city国产视频檚 system offers 36 hours of free childcare each week, with parents only paying for meals. There are modest fees for care beyond that, with income-based discounts. It provides up to 12 months of shared parental leave up to the age of two.
Reykjav铆k国产视频檚 Education Innovation Centre helps preschools, primary schools and recreational centres put the education policy into action and spark new ideas in teaching and learning.
The future
The city announced last year that 2,000 new preschool spots will be added over the next five years.
What they say
Mayor Bj枚rnsd贸ttir said: 国产视频淚t is important that the city can offer reliable and secure childcare or preschool immediately following parental leave. It is an essential basic service for families.
国产视频淲e all want to safeguard the best interests of children. We want to provide our children with a safe environment and conditions conducive to their development.国产视频
CARLOS FERNANDO GAL脕N PACH脫N (Mayor of Bogot谩, Colombia)
The challenge
More than 560,000 children under the age of six live in Bogot谩 国产视频 but nearly half do not have access to preschools or childcare centres.
This is mainly because services don国产视频檛 reach areas where they are most needed, affecting the most vulnerable households.
Fragmentation of early childhood development systems also means policies on health, education and social protection are often implemented with limited coordination.
The response
When Mayor Gal谩n took office in early 2024, he continued a plan to adapt old buildings, coordinate agencies, mobilise data and engage communities to build an infrastructure of care for children from conception to age five.
By June 2025, the city国产视频檚 broader District Care System had delivered more than 6.7 million service interactions to 911,928 women and their families.
Innovations and achievements
The core innovation of the Care System is the Care Blocks, whose services are free. These physical hubs provide services 国产视频 connecting existing schools, parks, community facilities, care centres and other public infrastructure within a 15 to 20-minute walk for caregivers. By 2024, 24 Care Blocks were operating across the city.
Bogot谩国产视频檚 District System for Integrated Early Childhood Development also brings together not only the health, education, protection and care sectors 国产视频 but involves other areas such as public safety and national government agencies.
The city is developing an early childhood information system that will integrate records from different agencies and enable tracking throughout each child国产视频檚 service journey. District Kindergartens also provide free public care, meals and early stimulation for low-income families.
The future
Bogot谩 plans to extend the number of Care Blocks to 45 by 2035. On a global scale, cities in England and Sierra Leone are planning to adapt the Care Blocks model after it was implemented successfully in Mexico and Chile.
What they say
Mayor Gal谩n said: 国产视频淲e cannot forget the initial responsibility: early childhood education. What we do in those early years in shaping a human being is something we cannot recover later on.国产视频 He also said: 国产视频淭his is a city-wide commitment that requires the involvement of academia, oversight bodies, multilateral organisations and civil society.国产视频
RONALD NSUBUGA BALIMWEZO (Lord Mayor of Kampala, Uganda)
The challenge
Kampala is home to a large and growing population of young children. But access to quality early childhood care and education remains uneven across the city, with services delivered through a mix of private, community, faith-based and public providers.
Kampala needs stronger systems, reliable data, better support for teachers and caregivers, safe and stimulating learning environments and stronger coordination between education, health and other services.
The response
Since taking office in January, Lord Mayor Balimwezo (pictured above with the Act For Early Years 国产视频楳inifesto国产视频) has emerged as a political voice for greater investment in young children and stronger implementation of early childhood policies.
Recognising the role city leaders can play, a more formal partnership has emerged between the Kampala Capital City Authority and Uganda国产视频檚 Ministry of Education and Sports to support and implement early years policies.
He also signed the Act For Early Years campaign国产视频檚 国产视频楳inifesto国产视频, joining the call for leaders to make big investments in little children.
Innovations and achievements
As well as affirming support for investment in the early years and turning national reforms into city-level action, Lord Mayor Balimwezo国产视频檚 leadership includes:
- Supporting improved mapping and registration of early education and daycare centres to show where services are located, who they serve and the support they require.
- Stronger coordination among national and city government, NGOs, private providers, communities and other organisations involved in early childhood services.
- A need for stronger legal and regulatory mechanisms for pre-primary education in Kampala.
- Greater attention to the training and professional development of teachers and caregivers working with young children.
- Recognising health, sanitation, nutrition and safe environments as part of the wider conditions required for children to learn and thrive.
- Calling for greater mobilisation of resources for early childhood care and education, and stronger consideration of the early years in Kampala国产视频檚 planning and budgeting processes.
The future
The ambition is to move from political commitment to a citywide system that families can benefit from in their everyday lives. This means strengthening the registration and oversight of early years centres in Kampala, improving the quality of learning and care, investing in teachers and caregivers, and expanding safe and stimulating spaces for young children.
Early childhood must be embedded within Kampala国产视频檚 broader development agenda. The Lord Mayor understands that a child-friendly city starts with decisions about how neighbourhoods are planned, where services are located, how budgets are allocated and whether families can access quality care and early learning close to where they live and work.
What they say
Lord Mayor Balimwezo said: 国产视频淓arly childhood development is very pertinent and, as such, as leaders we must appreciate and support it.国产视频 Reflecting on the wider effect that early education can have on families, he said: 国产视频淲hen you educate a child, they can be a changer in a home.国产视频
MICHELLE WU (Mayor of Boston, USA)
The challenge
The Covid pandemic highlighted that Boston suffered from a lack of affordable and accessible childcare, along with a chronic lack of early years educators.
The response
Since taking office in 2021, Mayor Wu has transformed the way Boston delivers on the early years by prioritising a culture of collaboration.
She has continued the city国产视频檚 commitment to affordable, high-quality early education and care for all children under five and has aimed to make it the 国产视频渕ost family-friendly city in the country国产视频.
Innovations and achievements
In 2022, Mayor Wu launched Boston国产视频檚 Office of Early Childhood and appointed a Director of Early Childhood to lead the department. This is a senior advisor role, working in partnership with public schools, city departments and community organisations serving Boston国产视频檚 children and families.
She updated zoning regulations so that large developers are required to contribute to a childcare fund, generating millions of dollars of support. She also continued to invest federal and local grants to support the early childhood workforce, including allocating $7 million from the Covid-era American Rescue Plan Act.
In 2024, Boston launched the Children国产视频檚 Council, bringing together team members from city departments to share updates and progress projects that impact children and families.
The Office of Early Childhood, partnering with public schools and other agencies, built a citywide enrolment platform called Great Starts. It gives families a one-stop shop dashboard of options for childcare, preschool and public school.
The future
The city is committed to accelerating a universal preschool system that stretches across Boston Public Schools, community-based organisations and family-based childcare programmes.
What they say
Mayor Wu said: 国产视频淢y goal is for Boston to be the best possible home for all of our families. I want our children to be set up for every success. That国产视频檚 not a one-and-done task, it国产视频檚 one that will require ongoing effort. My hope is that, a hundred years from now, when our great-grandchildren are in charge, I want them to be building on the foundation we laid.国产视频