Colombo: The ‘Safe Childhood- Creative Future’ Clean Sri Lanka: STEP UP national early childhood development programme was officially launched this morning at the Temple Trees under the leadership of the Prime Minister and the Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Training Dr. Harini Amarasuriya. The program is implemented with the goal of introducing formal quality standards for early childhood development centres in the future and organizing national-level training programmes to enhance the professional skills of early childhood educators.

According to News.LK, this national initiative is carried out in collaboration with several institutions, including the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs, Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Training, Ministry of Health and Mass Media, and the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government. It aligns with the government’s vision of ‘A Thriving Nation – A Beautiful Life.’

With the support of the Health Promotion Bureau and UNICEF, learning tools and specialized resource kits designed to foster ten identified core values in children were distributed to 900 early childhood development centres as part of the program.

The event saw the attendance of Minister of Health and Mass Media Dr. Nalinda Jayathissa, Minister of Women and Child Affairs Saroja Savithri Paulraj, Colombo District MP Dr. Najith Indika, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumaranayake, Senior Additional Secretary (Finance and Economic Affairs) G.M.R.D. Aponsu, Additional Secretary to the President S.P.C. Sugeeshwara, as well as several provincial governors.

A large group of early childhood educators, including preschool teachers from early childhood development centres across various regions of the country, also participated in the event.