Scaling Early Childhood Development - Thrive Programme Conference 2025

In collaboration with the Institute for Fiscal Studies, we are hosting an international conference on scaling Early Childhood Development (ECD) programmes and policies in low-and middle-income countries (LIMCs) through our Thrive programme.

📍Location: London

🗓️ Date: 24-25 June 2025

This conference will focus on papers that inform implementation of ECD policies and programmes in LMICs. There are 4 main areas of focus; papers outside of these areas may also be considered as long as they are relevant to the overall focus on scaling ECD.

What works – Innovative ECD approaches with potential for scale

Papers on 1) developing and testing ECD innovations with potential for scale in LMIC settings, and 2) that increase understanding of the process of early childhood development in LMIC settings.

Implementation at scale – Transitioning to large-scale interventions

Papers that focus on implementation of ECD interventions at scale and provide evidence to inform a successful transition of ECD programmes to scale.

Equity and inclusion – how to make sure scaling is equitable and inclusive

Papers that contribute evidence on how to ensure gender equity, access for marginalised and disadvantaged groups, caregiver empowerment and father engagement in ECD at scale.

Thrive is a multi-country research programme funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and by New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFAT) that aims to support countries  in turning what we know about positive ECD into practical, scalable programmes.