Early Childhood Systems:
Perspectives and Research Working Paper and Webinar Series
The Early Childhood Systems: Perspectives and Research working paper and webinar series is a collaboration between Ilifa Labantwana, Research on Socio-Economic Policy (Resep) at the Stellenbosch University, and DataDrive2030.
Formerly known as the Ilifa-RESEP working paper series, it aims to promote research that addresses the major systemic issues facing the ECD sector in South Africa.
Key themes of the series include: Financing and funding, labour, nutrition, ECD governance, regulation, economics of ECD, the household environment, and developmental outcomes of children.
The series contains research papers that address any of the components of the ECD essential package – early learning, parent and caregiver support, nutrition, maternal and child health, and social protection.



Research report
Author: Dr Gabrielle Wills and Dr Grace Leach
Document Name:
Early childhood development in South Africa: Current and future workforce requirements
Number: ECD WP011/2024 Author: John Kruger and Colin Almeleh
Document Name:
Early Childhood Care and Education and Jobs for Women: A Care-Led Strategy for Jobs and Growth?
Number: ECD WP010/2024 Author: Kate Rich, Liezel Engelbrecht, Gabrielle Wills and Ronelle Burger
Document Name:
Measuring stunting and tracking trends in prevalence: Conceptual and methodological considerations with a focus on South Africa
Number: ECD WP009/2024 Author: Eldridge Moses
Document Name:
Post-COVID Early Childhood Care and Education enrolment gaps in South Africa: Exploring Demand and Supply Influences
Number: ECD WP008/2024 Author: Grace Leach and Dieter von Fintel
Document Name:
Promoting early childhood development through multi-dimensional service delivery in South Africa: A municipal view
Number: ECD WP007/2024 Author: Jesal Kika-Mistry & Gabrielle Wills
Document Name:
Cost, Compliance and User Fees in the Early Childhood Care and Education Sector in South Africa (Update using the 2021 ECD Census and 2021 Thrive by Five Index and Baseline Assessment data)
Number: No. ECD WP006/2023 Author: Servaas van der Berg
Document Name:
The cognitive gains case for ECD: missing pieces of the puzzle
Number: ECD WP005/2022 Author: Jesal Kika-Mistry & Gabrielle Wills
Document Name:
Compliance, cost and user fees in the Early Childhood Care and Education Sector in South Africa
Number: ECD WP004/2022 Author: Ronelle Burger, Lisanne du Plessis, Trust Gangaldzo, Gabrielle Wills
Document Name:
Priority areas for reducing stunting in South Africa: Examining the implications of recent international evidence
Number: ECD WP003/2021 Author: Gabrielle Wills and Jesal Kika-Mistry
Document Name:
Supply-side and demand-side approaches to financing early childhood care and education in South Africa
Number: ECD WP002/2021 Author: Eldridge Moses
Document Name:
Enrolment in early childhood care and education programmes in South Africa- challenges and opportunities
Number: ECD WP001/2021 Author: Servaas van der Berg
Document Name:
Estimating the impact of five early childhood development programmes against a counterfactual
Author: Dr Erofili Grapsa & Dr Caylee Cook
Presentation Title:
Preschoolers’ motor, cognitive, and social-emotional functioning in South Africa: An exploration of differences between boys and girls
Author: Dr Tara Polzer Ngwato and Dr Magali von Blottnitz
Presentation Title:
A triple-cocktail approach for closing the ECD gap: Evaluation of the Yizani Sifunde project