What We Do.

The Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority aims to promote collaboration to help all of Abu Dhabi's young children flourish through four sectors: Health and Nutrition, Child Protection, Family Support, and Education and Early Care, from the initial stages of pregnancy to the age of eight.

Area of Our Focus

Child Protection

Secure
- Aware of surroundings and safely participates in community life

Safe From Harm and Danger
- Protected from sexual abuse
- Free from hazards in their physical environment
- Protected from physical abuse, neglect, violence, and exploitation
- Protected from psychological neglect and abuse

Early Care & Education

Sociable
- Aware of social conventions and behaves well with others
- Expresses feelings appropriately

Academic Competence
- Demonstrates emerging logical thinking and problem solving skills
- Uses and consumes technology appropriately and responsibly Performs adequately in math, science, and reading
- Communicates eﬀectively in their native language

Health & Nutrition

Adequately nourished
- Eats nutritious foods by following a healthy diet

Emotionally Secure
- Copes with stress and adversity appropriately
- Treats adults and peers with kindness Positive sense of self
- Feels valued and respected by primary caregivers
- Positive and supportive relationships with peers

Emotionally and Physically Secure
- Adequate ﬁne and gross motor skills and coordination
- Participates regularly in exercise, sports, and active play

Family Support

ValuesOriented
- Respects diﬀerent cultures, practices and beliefs Strong sense of national pride
- family, friends, and community members with respect

Stable & Secure Home Environment
- Has a place called “home”
- Parents who can provide an adequate standard of living, loving and caring family relationship
- Supportive network of parents and caregivers
- Parents and caregivers who actively nurture their development and well-being

Child Protection

Secure
- Aware of surroundings and safely participates in community life

Safe From Harm and Danger
- Protected from sexual abuse
- Free from hazards in their physical environment
- Protected from physical abuse, neglect, violence, and exploitation
- Protected from psychological neglect and abuse

Early Care & Education

Sociable
- Aware of social conventions and behaves well with others
- Expresses feelings appropriately

Academic Competence
- Demonstrates emerging logical thinking and problem solving skills
- Uses and consumes technology appropriately and responsibly Performs adequately in math, science, and reading
- Communicates eﬀectively in their native language

Health & Nutrition

Adequately nourished
- Eats nutritious foods by following a healthy diet

Emotionally Secure
- Copes with stress and adversity appropriately
- Treats adults and peers with kindness Positive sense of self
- Feels valued and respected by primary caregivers
- Positive and supportive relationships with peers

Emotionally and Physically Secure
- Adequate ﬁne and gross motor skills and coordination
- Participates regularly in exercise, sports, and active play

Family Support

ValuesOriented
- Respects diﬀerent cultures, practices and beliefs Strong sense of national pride
- family, friends, and community members with respect

Stable & Secure Home Environment
- Has a place called “home”
- Parents who can provide an adequate standard of living, loving and caring family relationship
- Supportive network of parents and caregivers
- Parents and caregivers who actively nurture their development and well-being

Who we are

We Oversee the Early Childhood Development sector in Abu Dhabi and are committed to the highest standards, placing the young children at the heart of all we do.

Our Role

We promote collaboration to help all of Abu Dhabi’s young children ﬂourish.

Enabler

We broaden the capabilities of our partners to support holistic child development.

Policy Inﬂuencer

Inform and influence the development and implementation of ECD policies

Knowledge Hub

We inform decision-making through research, data and evidence.

Impact Navigator

Monitor progress of the ECD ecosystem and impact for the community

Incubator

Nurture the growth and sustainability of innovative ECD programs and services

Abu Dhabi's Early Childhood Development Strategy for 2035

Every Young child can ﬂourish to their full potential in a safe and family friendly environment

Cross Sectorial Focus Areas Are:

Early Care & Education

Family Support

Child Protection

Health & Nutrition

Ensure that children, parents and caregivers have access to appropriate services and resources to support optimum child development

Strengthen the child protection system from prevention to rehabilitation
Deliver a sufficient and capable ECD workforce
Enhance support for parents and primary caregivers
Make Abu Dhabi a family friendly Emirate
Nurture positive cultural identity and social cohesion

Create a robust system to enhance accountability and improve quality and sustainability

Strengthen the ECD research ecosystem and outcomes
Ensure high-impact ECD policy & legislation
Drive excellence & innovation in ECD
Enhance public engagement and partnerships in the ECD ecosystem

Thirteen strategic priorities have been selected for the ECD sector to focus until end of 2026

Reducing the incidence of overweight/obesity in young children
Enhancing early detection and intervention for children of determination
Reducing child mortality
Securing the mental health of children, parents and caregivers
Reducing the socio-economic gap in learning outcomes
Increase participation in early learning opportunities
Nurturing positive cultural identity and social cohesion
Increasing conﬁdence and capabilities of caregivers and supporting quality time spent between parents and children
Increasing conﬁdence in the child protection system
Securing the rehabilitation of child victims
Enabling private sector participation in the ECD Sector
Making Abu Dhabi a family friendly Emirate
Mitigating risks and leveraging opportunities for the ECD sector coming from technology

Develop a comprehensive human capital strategy

Develop a comprehensive strategy to ensure Abu Dhabi has a high-quality Early Childhood Development workforce with sufficient skills and in sufficient numbers to ensure the effective implementation and delivery of the Emirate’s ECD Strategy 2035.

Create systems and platforms to drive excellence and innovation

Create systems and platforms to collect, track and use data to provide up-to-date information about children, parents, the ECD workforce, and services as well as a high-functioning ECD monitoring and evaluation strategy to use the data to assess the quality of ECD services.

Develop a comprehensive research ecosystem

Develop and implement a high-functioning ECD research strategy to inform evidence-based policymaking and support planning and quality improvement.

Create a widespread public engagement strategy

Develop and launch a comprehensive, long-term public engagement strategy to enhance awareness of the importance of the early years, build the capabilities of parents and other adults to support child well-being, and foster changes in behavior to benefit children. To ensure widespread support and appreciation of ECD, the strategy will focus on parents, caregivers, practitioners, academics, professionals, businesses, policymakers, the general public and children.

Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority Board of Trustees

H.H. Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan

Chairman of the Office of Development and Martyrs Families Affairs at the Presidential Court
Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority

H.H. Sheikha Mariam bint Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan

Member

H.H. Sheikha Shamsa bint Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan

Member

H.E. Mansour Al Mansouri

Member of the Executive Council Chairman of the Department of Health

Member

H.E. Dr. Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili

Member of the Executive Council Chairman of the Department of Community Development

Member

H.E. Sara Awad Issa Musallam

Member of the Executive Council Chairman of the Department of Education and Knowledge

Member

H.E. Chancellor Ali Mohammed Abdullah Al Balooshi

Attorney General of Abu Dhabi

Member

H.E. Al Reem Abdullah Al Falasi

Secretary General of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood

Member

The inspiration behind our logo

As with all our work, we keep young children at the heart of all we do. And our logo is no exception. The icon forms the shape of a balancing child, implying stability and suggesting development, achievement, strength and growth. The logo, once rotated 90 degrees, also represents the first letters of the full name of the Authority in Arabic.

Our logo is also inspired by the typeface created by Nasri Khattar in the 1950s. He created it as a way to help make the Arabic language more accessible and easier to learn and was nominated for a Nobel Prize for this effort.