The Department of Social Development has announced the opening of entries for the South Africa Early Childhood Development Awards. Entries open from 5 July 2011 and close on 2 September 2011 at midday. The Awards are run in partnership with the Departments of Basic Education and Social Development, South African Congress of Early Childhood Development, UNICEF, Jim Joel Fund, and the media.

The Awards are indicative of the South African government’s commitment to recognise and support ECD. The aim of the awards is to raise awareness of the ECD sector’s goal to break the cycle of inherited poverty through integrated and holistic early childhood development.

The Awards highlight the need for a proper system of early childhood development, one that is integrated in its approach, by considering children’s health, nutrition, education, psychosocial and additional environmental factors within the context of their family and their community.

The ECD awards seek to recognise and promote excellence, hard work, dedication and investment in the future of children by individual practitioners, community centres and organisations involved in early childhood development.

There are four categories:

• Best ECD Practitioner of the Year
• Best ECD Centre of the Year
• Best ECD Trainer of the Year
• Best Publication of the Year
• Best ECD Training and Intervention Programme.

Prizes include monetary awards or scholarships.

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