Early Childhood Development to Build Tajikistan’s Human Capital Project

Implemented by Ministry of Finance in coordination with Ministry of Education and Science and Ministry of Healthcare and Social Protection of the Population, the project strengthens systems and expands integrated early childhood services for children 0–6 through four components, combining nationwide reforms with intensive investments in 14 targeted districts.

Component 1 strengthens national capacity to deliver the Basic Package by updating and developing key guidelines, programs, and tools. This includes a Basic Package Manual to guide coordinated planning and implementation by district administrations, primary health care centers, and preschools. It supports updating prenatal care guidance and strengthening the national Child Growth and Development Monitoring (CGDM) program to include developmental monitoring and stronger parent engagement. On the education side, it supports review and adaptation of preschool curricula, teaching and learning materials, equipment standards, and facility designs to improve quality, inclusion, and resilience.

Component 2 supports nationwide implementation of priority elements of the Basic Package. It finances social and behavioral change communications (SBCC) to increase awareness and improve family and community practices around early development, nutrition, responsive care, early stimulation, and early learning. It also supports nationwide rollout of the updated CGDM through production and distribution of materials, provision of basic equipment, and training for primary health care staff. Where needed, it strengthens early identification, referral pathways, and rehabilitation-related support services for children with developmental delays.

Component 3 improves access and quality of services in the 14 targeted districts by supporting local administrations and communities to develop and implement integrated district ECD plans (with mahalla engagement), backed by local SBCC and practical monitoring. It expands early learning opportunities for children 3–6 through rehabilitation of kindergartens (KGs), construction and rehabilitation of Early Learning Centers (ELCs), and construction of five model KGs. Overall, the project will create about 550 preschool classrooms and build workforce capacity by training approximately 3,800 teachers in play-based pedagogy, complemented by coaching and ongoing support to improve classroom practice. Component 3 also pilots and scales out around 500 community-based playgroups (community-based early learning/play models) to reach children in underserved communities and strengthen caregiver engagement in early stimulation and learning. In parallel, it supports improvements in selected primary health care centers (civil works, equipment, ECD-oriented spaces/materials) and added support to frontline staff delivering CGDM, reinforcing the link between child health, parenting support, and early learning at local level. It also supports the development of age-appropriate children’s books for ages 0–6 and their distribution to KGs, ELCs, and community-based playgroups.

Component 4 finances project management and coordination, including staffing, supervision, audits, monitoring and evaluation, transparency, and beneficiary feedback and grievance mechanisms to ensure effective cross-sector implementation.