“As a parent who had lost a child before, I’ve always had my walls up especially when it comes to who’s around my kid, but having to meet your staff and how amazing they are with the kids, I can boldly say my walls are down. Academically speaking my daughter is on another level. A whole 3-year-old knows the difference between omnivores and carnivores, also educating us the parents about types of plants… That’s something else. I am so so so so happy with your service, honestly.”
“Many times, as parents, we look for a place where our kids are developed and groomed properly, far beyond what we teach them at home. At Blue Door, I have seen extreme growth and development… from the principals to the teachers, they really meet our babies just at their place of need. Thank you so much to each and every one of you.”
These heartfelt words from caregivers with children attending Earlybird Educare centres capture the profound impact that quality early learning centres have on young children. But for many parents and caregivers across South Africa, finding such a place where their children can access quality learning opportunities remains a challenge.
South Africa faces a significant shortage of early learning centres equipped with necessary resources, including classrooms, playgrounds, and other facilities that are essential for providing a safe and supportive learning environment. Over a million children between three and five years old are without access to fundamental early learning opportunities, especially those in underserved communities. Where centres are available, they are often overcrowded and lack infrastructure and resources needed to deliver quality programmes. The South African Early Childhood Review 2024 also highlights that a three-year-old child from a wealthier household is 1.6 times more likely to attend an early learning programme (ELP) than a child from a lower-income family. This creates unequal opportunities, as children from lower-income areas do not receive the same developmental experiences as those in high-income areas. Without access to high-quality early learning programmes, children miss out on crucial opportunities for holistic growth, which research shows is supported by proper learning spaces, engaging resources and a nurturing environment.
Since 2017, Earlybird has been addressing this issue by increasing the supply of properly equipped early learning centres. Through their model, children from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds have access to the same high-quality learning programmes, which creates inclusive environments where children can learn and thrive.
In 2024, the Department of Basic Education set an ambitious goal to establish 115 new early learning centres by 2030 to address the shortage of early learning centres. This aligns closely with Earlybird’s long-standing mission and highlights the urgent need for scalable solutions that ensure all children in South Africa have access to quality early learning opportunities.
Enabling Equal Access to Early Learning Opportunities
Earlybird partners with large corporate entities, property developers, and communities to bring high-quality early learning opportunities to children regardless of their backgrounds. Currently, Earlybird runs 10 early learning centres, supporting over 600 children across Gauteng, North West, and the Western Cape, with more centres planned to expand their reach in the coming years.
Corporate Partnerships
Earlybird partners with companies to set up “Nest” centres at the workplace for employees’ children to provide a reliable, on-site childcare that supports high-quality early learning access. This setup benefits parents and caregivers, especially women returning to work, by easing the transition and allowing them to pursue careers while knowing their children are in a nurturing space.
Research has proven that these kinds of partnerships also help reduce turnover by approximately 25% and absenteeism by 35%, which contributes to a more stable workforce. With affordable, quality early learning on a sliding fee scale, this model improves access to learning for children while strengthening employee retention – a win-win for caregivers and employers.
Developer Partnerships
Earlybird establishes “Flock” centres within residential and commercial developments to offer convenient early learning centres for caregivers in these areas. These centres ensure all children in the community have open enrolment access to quality early learning opportunities, while also adding value for residents by providing them with essential and convenient childcare services.
Community Partnerships
Community partnerships leverage Earlybird’s reinvested revenue from Nest and Flock centres to fund “Blue Door” centres in low-resourced communities. These community-based centres are run by social franchisees through Earlybird’s non-profit arm. They deliver the same high-quality early learning opportunities to underserved areas as in the corporate and developer centres. This strategy helps to bridge the gap in learning resources and enables equal learning opportunities for young children across the socioeconomic spectrum. The franchise model is grounded in strategic partnerships with NGOs to establish centres that meet local needs. During the initial stages, franchisees are guided through each step, from site selection and practitioner recruitment to securing the necessary infrastructure and regulatory approvals.
Designed for Quality at Scale, for Impact
Earlybird was developed to provide affordable, high-quality early learning to South African children across various income groups. The programme, developed by early childhood development (ECD) experts, helps children between the ages of three months and five years build essential skills for school and beyond.
The Earlybird model focuses on quality at scale and is adaptable across various settings to serve children from different socioeconomic backgrounds. With a research-based learning package, tools like teacher planners and activity guides, and strong teacher recruitment and mentorship, the programme ensures that every centre provides a fun, consistent, and enriching learning experience. All centres have skilled practitioners who use a play-based approach and actively involve families in their children’s learning journey.
“We recognise the power our centres have to build cohesion in the communities we serve. The value we place on diversity and inclusion is one of the factors that differentiates us from the rest. This is evident in our family engagement events, fee structures, multilingual emergent literacy programme, inclusive pedagogy, and educational materials. Our teams are committed to creating early learning environments that nurture a positive sense of self in every child who spends time with them.” – Megan Blair, CEO, Earlybird Educare
Partnering with companies and developers enables Earlybird to secure funding, which keeps fees affordable for caregivers in low-resourced areas. The income from the Nest and Flock centres subsidises the Blue Door centres, making sure that children from different socioeconomic backgrounds can access the same high-quality early learning opportunities.
Impactful Learning Programme that Prepares Children for School and Beyond
Earlybird’s learning programme is built on social constructivist theory, which highlights that young children learn best through meaningful social interactions and hands-on experiences. It combines elements from Montessori, Waldorf, High/Scope, Froebel, and Reggio Emilia to create a flexible, research-driven approach.
Practitioners play an important role in this process, guiding children through activities that nurture curiosity, encourage exploration and problem-solving, and help them build on what they already know. The play-based model ensures all children, including those with learning barriers, are supported and included, adapting to new research to keep the approach relevant and effective.
“…I now enjoy teaching our little ones movement and music activities the most. There’s always room for growth at Earlybird… I have learnt how to make fun and educational activities using recycled materials. I love working at Earlybird.” – Practitioner, Rato
“I’ve learnt to plan my lessons thoughtfully and come up with creative activities for the kids. I truly enjoy studying Early Childhood Development and have a deep passion for working with children.” – Practitioner, Nelly
“My favourite would be story time. Being a good storyteller impacts a lot of children but for some it changes their mindset in a positive way. One child would bring her story book to school and would want me to read it for her.” – Practitioner, Nthabi
Training and Equipping Practitioners with Skills for Lasting Impact on Children
Skilled practitioners are at the heart of quality learning experiences for children, and Earlybird ensures that they are set up for success. They provide their practitioners with the training, tools, and ongoing support they need to create age-appropriate, needs-based learning experiences that are just right for young children.
Practitioners at Earlybird’s Nest and Flock centres, as well as the community-focused Blue Door centres, go through a thorough training process that goes beyond the basics – from pre-service training to regular mentorship. They receive useful resources like the Bird Seed activity guide and a training programme featuring two pre-service modules, three induction modules, and fifteen in-service modules – all designed to enhance their skills. These modules are currently undergoing the accreditation process, further enhancing their credibility and quality.
Assessing and Measuring Impact on Children
Understanding the effectiveness of learning programmes is key to ensuring positive, lasting outcomes for children. Earlybird regularly assesses its impact through ongoing evaluation of child development outcomes. They track enrolment rates, feedback from parents and caregivers, and children’s progress to measure the effectiveness of their programmes. To help with this, Earlybird uses tools like the Early Learning Outcomes Measure (ELOM) to track and analyse children’s development and learning, ensuring they are on the right path for growth and success.
In 2022, an external evaluation looked at how Earlybird’s programme affected the learning and development of 45 children aged four and five using ELOM. Over nine months, children at Earlybird showed much greater progress across key developmental areas compared to other children from similar backgrounds in the national ELOM study. Their improvement was almost twice as much, highlighting the impact of Earlybird’s approach on children’s growth and learning. This highlights the positive impact Earlybird’s programme has in helping children make significant developmental progress compared to their peers.
Stories of Change and Impact on Children
The impact of Earlybird’s work – and our investment – comes to life through both the numbers and the voices of those who have experienced it firsthand:
“In an ecosystem with very few early-stage funders, Innovation Edge is far more than just that: at various stages in our journey they have played the role of visionary, incubator, mentor, and safety-net. Early Bird would not be where we are today without Innovation Edge’s multi-faceted support. The team bolstered our team’s spirits and helped us to problem-solve through tough times, building a more resilient organisation. The road ahead is long, but we’re walking it with our eye to the horizon thanks to Innovation Edge. Hopefully together we will achieve our mission of improving the early learning and development outcomes of children across South Africa.” – Megan Blair, CEO, Early Bird Educare
“Innovation Edge is dedicated to creating lasting impact, and we actively seek out solutions that deliver meaningful change for young children in South Africa. Our investment in Earlybird is evidence to our confidence in its ability to transform the early learning space through their innovative model that expands access to quality learning programmes for young children. Earlybird’s commitment to evaluating and refining its programmes ensures that each child receives high-quality learning experiences tailored to their needs and developmental stage. We’re excited to remain part of Earlybird as it scales its reach across South Africa, setting new standards for accessible, impactful early learning and creating promising futures for our children.” – Gilbert Anyetei, Investment Principal, Innovation Edge
Read more stories here.
Author: Dimpho Lephaila – Communications Associate at Innovation Edge