Durban, 30 May 2026 –

The Unlimited Child was established with a clear conviction: unlocking a world of possibilities for children and communities by laying a strong foundation. They have built one of the most extensive and evidence-backed early childhood development (ECD) support networks in the country.

Through the Jobs Fund-supported Early Learning Social Impact project, there is now more supporting research, evidence, and learnings about what is possible when investment in people is matched with a willingness to go where the need is greatest.

South Africa’s commitment to early childhood development is enshrined in the Department of Basic Education’s (DBE) ECD mandate. Central to this commitment is the Bana Pele ECD Registration Drive, a national programme to register every ECD centre to ensure that every child has access to quality learning, a safe and nurturing environment, and good nutrition.

The Unlimited Child aligns with these priorities and is actively advancing them on the ground. It also occupies a rare position: it shapes national policy and translates it into action across all nine provinces. From supporting centre managers to understanding registration requirements, to facilitating registration clinics within community clusters, to strengthening the documentation, health and safety, and practitioner quality standards that registration assessors evaluate, The Unlimited Child is doing the work that turns government commitment into lived reality for children and communities.

A New Kind of ECD Professional

At the heart of the Early Learning Social Impact project is a workforce model that challenges long-standing assumptions about who can become an ECD professional and what that role can look like.

The 120 Impact Coaches developed through this project were recruited not primarily for their formal credentials, but for their connection with the community, commitment to child development, and growth potential. The majority are women from the communities they serve, and it is their first meaningful entry into professional employment.

Each Impact Coach received a structured, multi-module training programme covering ECD practice, play-based curriculum methodology, practitioner mentoring, environment assessment, and ECD financial management. They were equipped with tablets and data connectivity, assessed quarterly against structured mentoring tools, and supported continuously. What emerged was a group of skilled individuals capable of improving the quality of early childhood provision at scale.