The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) country office, in cooperation with national partners, has developed Turkmenistan’s National Early Childhood Development (ECD) Strategy for 2026–2030. This initiative took place during the visit of international expert Christian Morazbito from July 13 to 17.

Christian Morazbito worked closely with the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry, and the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population to promote a comprehensive and inclusive approach to early childhood development policy. The expert visited the Early Childhood Development Center based in Kindergarten No. 138 in Ashgabat’s Büzmein district, another center affiliated with a city health institution, and held meetings with social work specialists.

On July 15, a seminar was held at the UN House in Ashgabat for representatives of all key ministries and agencies involved in ECD. Opening the session, UNICEF Representative in Turkmenistan, Jalpa Ratna, emphasized the importance of investing in a child’s development from the earliest years.

“Investments in early childhood development are among the most effective strategies for building human capital. It is proven that every dollar invested in quality ECD programs can yield up to 13 dollars in returns through improvements in health, education, and the economy,” stated the UNICEF representative.

During the seminar, Christian Morazbito presented global data, best practices, and key findings from cross-sectoral early childhood development programs. He praised Turkmenistan’s efforts and highlighted the inclusive nature of its approach, including the creation of working groups uniting representatives of various ministries and agencies to ensure coordinated action at the governmental level.