The head of Egypt's National Council for Childhood and Motherhood (NCCM), Sahar El-Sonbaty, has participated in a consultative meeting to discuss the results of a comprehensive national survey of nurseries across the country. The meeting was organised by the Ministry of Social Solidarity, which conducted the survey to establish an executive framework for a national initiative to support and develop the early childhood sector in Egypt. In her remarks, El-Sonbaty praised the "pioneering" survey, the first of its kind in Egypt, and stressed that investing in early childhood development is one of the most important investments in human capital. She noted that the NCCM has launched a National Strategy for Early Childhood Development, a comprehensive plan aimed at creating a supportive environment for sustainable development. The strategy is based on six main pillars, including a supportive political environment, good governance, and multi-sectoral services. El-Sonbaty highlighted the NCCM's pivotal role in monitoring the strategy's implementation, in light of a 2023 law that enhanced its powers and its ability to coordinate with all relevant ministries, government agencies, civil society organisations, and international partners. She concluded by thanking Minister of Social Solidarity Maya Morsy for her tireless efforts in supporting the early childhood sector. The consultative meeting was opened by Morsy and attended by officials from the ministry and the NCCM, as well as the former minister of communications and information technology, Magued Osman, who is also the head of the Egyptian Center for Public Opinion Research (Baseera), which likely participated in the survey.
