Early Childhood Development Research Priorities Workshop
Juzoor for Health and Social Development, in partnership with the Palestinian Network for Early Childhood Development (NDC) and Al Asfari Foundation, held a workshop to identify research priorities in Early Childhood Development (ECD) in Palestine. The workshop was conducted under the under the project “Primary Healthcare NGO Consortium (2026–2029)” funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), and managed by the NGO Development Center (NDC). The workshop brought together representatives from relevant institutions, members of the network, and members of the National Committee for Early Childhood.
The workshop aimed to develop a national research agenda with clear, evidence-based priorities in the field of Early Childhood Development, aligned with the Palestinian context and consistent with relevant global frameworks. It also sought to support policies, programs, and interventions targeting children in their early years.
The workshop was organized to emphasize the importance of strengthening scientific research as a key tool for planning, decision-making, and program development in early childhood. It aimed to guide efforts toward the most pressing issues affecting children and their families, while improving the quality of interventions across the Palestinian context.
Adopting a participatory and interactive approach, the workshop combined evidence review, group discussions, and consensus-building to identify key knowledge gaps and research priorities within the Nurturing Care Framework, including health, nutrition, responsive caregiving, early learning, and safety.
It also highlighted the need for clear, practical, and context-specific research questions to ensure that findings effectively inform national policies and programs, while strengthening coordination among civil society, government, and academic partners.
Furthermore, the workshop provided a platform for dialogue and knowledge exchange among stakeholders in the early childhood sector. Participants discussed key research gaps and proposed practical, action-oriented research questions based on recent scientific literature, field experience, and the needs of children and families in Palestine.
Juzoor emphasized that this workshop represents an important step toward establishing a shared national research reference for Early Childhood Development, helping to guide research, programming, and funding efforts toward the most urgent priorities, and enhancing national efforts to ensure Palestinian children’s right to growth, care, learning, and protection.
