ECD Competencies

What are Abu Dhabi ECD competencies?

ECD competencies are the knowledge, skills and behaviors needed by professionals and practitioners who work with, or on behalf of, children 0 to 8 and their families

ECD competencies in Abu Dhabi cover 7 critical domains:

Science and practice supporting holistic early childhood development

Focus on the specific evidence-based knowledge and practices regarding young children’s holistic development that are required to appropriately understand and respond to their individual strengths and needs, while respecting the privacy and confidentiality of data

Child wellness: health, nutrition, and safety

Focus on the specific knowledge and evidence-based practices needed to promote and support children’s overall health and age-appropriate nutrition, and to ensure their overall safety and security and acting upon any harming situation for they may face

Family and community

Focus on the specific evidence-based knowledge related to the importance of the family environment and the family’s role in children’s holistic development and to responsive practices to effectively engage with family members in the best interest of the child

Diversity and inclusion

Focus on the specific knowledge needed to understand and respect the diversity that exists between individual children and families and to implement appropriate practices to cater to the individual needs of each child and family, without any discrimination

Professionalism and professional growth

Focus on the required knowledge to guide practitioners’ professional development and growth and professional conduct, and on the specific practices that reflect professionalism when working in early childhood services

Coordination across practitioner roles and professional settings

UAE culture and heritage

Focus on the specific knowledge and practices required to ensure that the services provided by practitioners' respect and align with the UAE’s heritage, culture and core values of the UAE’s community they serve

Why do we need them?

Align stakeholders on the expectations for ECD positions

Ensure consistent understanding across all stakeholders (professionals / practitioners, employers, regulators, higher education providers, professional development providers)

Be a pillar to an integrated professional development system

ECD competencies help define the learning outcomes of education and professional learning programs, underpin PD plans by defining the skills needed for progressive professional growth and provide input to monitoring and evaluation processes

Support consistency inservices for young children

Support greater consistency in services for children through the 0 to 8 continuum and across professional roles and settings

ECD Competencies are critical for employers, universities and practitioners' segments.

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The Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA) is a government entity, based in Abu Dhabi, that supports holistic early childhood development. We do this by developing policies and laws, informing decision-making through research and transforming behavior.

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