Our Programme - The Unlimited Child

Our Programme.

Our highly scalable early learning programme has already shifted over 2 million children below the age of 6 from underserved communities to school-readiness – setting them up for success.

1. Skills Development Training.

Parents and caregivers need to work for a living; while we’ve made great strides in providing access to schools, far too many communities don’t have access to early learning programmes that properly prepare their children for school.

In these communities, parents have no choice but to leave their children in the care of childminders.

The sad reality is that most of these childminders are unskilled, untrained and unqualified. By leaving the children unprepared for school means that they’re ultimately left unprepared for life.

Our programme changes that. We go into these communities and unlock the potential in these already-existing crèches. We train and coach the childminders to become skilled play-based ECD practitioners.

We also assist them in transforming their crèches into fully-functioning ECD Centres. That is rapid impact.

We develop an unqualified childminder through to basic ECD practitioner level within just 1 week. We do this by delivering a simultaneous early-learning, skills development and micro-entrepreneurial impact both quickly and affordably.

2. Learning Through Play.

Studies have shown that play is vital for a child’s holistic development, whereby play improves physical, social, cognitive, creative and emotional skills.

In The Unlimited Child Programme, play is interwoven with early literacy and numeracy learning, as well as reading for understanding and math awareness.

These are all part of the early learning milestones for school readiness in children.

That’s why we not only provide play-based skills training, but also supply each new ECD Centre with a comprehensive age-appropriate early learning toy and resources kit.

Each kit contains everything the practitioner needs to deliver curriculum-based lessons using an age-appropriate, play-based methodology for school-readiness.

From the actual toys, tools and correct-use manuals to pre-made lesson plans and practitioners’ guides, we ensure all critical skills are imparted, taught and retained by the learners.

3. Continuous Training & Development.

While our initial phase is rapid impact; quickly developing the practitioner to an ECD-ready stage within 1 week, we want to ensure we unlock lasting and sustainable change.

That’s why we have a Continuous Professional Development (CPD) programme.

Every new early-learning practitioner begins at a foundational level and then we take them on a true CPD journey to ECD proficiency.

This process involves continuous coaching and mentoring, both on-site at their actual ECD Centre and off-site at peer-based cluster workshops.

Continuous support is also received through Field Monitors that visit, assess and support every ECD Centre on a regular basis.

Monthly cluster workshops where practitioners gather to share information, learn from each other and receive additional professional training and support are held. Additional resource requirements can be requested via these workshops.

4. Ensuring Quality & Sustainability.

To maintain the programme’s sustainability, we use a proven model to ensure everyone gets the same level of support wherever they are in their learning journey.

Children receive the same quality early-learning and practitioners acquire the same practical and active support they need across an entire country and even across borders.

We offer this support through our Field Monitors, Coaches and Mentors who physically visit each ECD Centre on a regular basis.

We also equip them with low technology and appropriate software that they use to continuously capture and provide data feedback in real-time.

Our quality-assurance processes allow us to analyse the data to ensure the required standards are being met and to assess programme delivery. We aim to continuously keep all stakeholders engaged and fully supported by identifying all successes and challenges faced throughout the journey.

Proven & Highly Scalable.

From our humble beginnings in 2009, where we started with just 7 ECD Centres in the KwaZulu-Natal region of South Africa, The Unlimited Child Programme has since grown to a national level in South Africa in 2016 and since 2021, is now flourishing internationally with no plans of slowing down.