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Early childhood development is a crucial period for cognitive and socio-emotional growth, especially in disadvantaged communities where access to quality education and resources is often limited. This article aims to explore the effectiveness of community-based early childhood development (ECD) programs in enhancing the cognitive and socio-emotional development of young children in rural-based communities. The study used that qualitative research approach with the adoption of the comprehensive desktop approach, analyzing existing literature, reports, and data on community-based ECD initiatives. An exploratory research design was employed to influence the diverse methodologies, impacts, and outcomes of these programs across different settings. The findings of this provided evidence-based recommendations for improving early childhood interventions, particularly in impoverished regions, with the goal of fostering sustainable and inclusive development for children from marginalized backgrounds. This study added knowledge to contemporary literature through highlighting the importance of the culturally sensitive and contextually relevant ECD program design and emphasized the need for sustainable community engagement and local ownership.

A responsible parent-child relationship and parental support for learning early in life are crucial to promoting ECD. Many families live in neglected childcare areas, and even when programmes are available, quality is not regulated or supported, which is beyond the reach of most families. There is substantial evidence linking ECD staff training and qualifications with programme quality and children’s cognitive results. Research activities included a case study of three selected rural ECD centres based in the Eastern Cape. Direct observations and additional data were used in individual interviews to obtain data from practitioners. Content analysis was used to analyze the data. The following themes emanated from the results; namely, lack of communication; lack of government involvement; lack of parental involvement; lack of resources; lack of relevant practitioner qualifications; and the absence of an adequate curriculum were conceded. All of these have had their fair share of influence on the negative implementation of quality ECD education and the cognitive development of children. In conclusion, the study established that the ECD sector needs to become urgently professionalized if children's right to a good foundational education is to be preserved and supported. The findings of the study highlighted the importance of broadening perspectives on transitions that children will experience to develop integrated and contextualized classrooms that are child focused.

The quality of infrastructure in Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres has a profound influence on child development outcomes, particularly in marginalised communities. This article investigates the infrastructural challenges facing township-based ECD centres in Johannesburg, South Africa, and explores how these challenges influence parents’ decisions and, potentially, the developmental trajectories of their children. Drawing on the National Integrated ECD Policy (2015) and the Department of Social Development (DSD) infrastructure norms, the study employs a mixed-methods design to assess the availability and adequacy of physical infrastructure in selected centres. Parents of children attending township ECD centres participated through an online quantitative survey and telephonic qualitative interviews conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings reveal widespread compliance with minimum infrastructure standards—such as access to clean water, basic sanitation, and classroom space—but expose critical gaps in outdoor play areas, safety features, and child-friendly environments. These deficiencies are compounded by limited financial resources, overcrowded facilities, and dual-purpose premises that serve both as homes and ECD centres. While parents generally expressed satisfaction with proximity, staff care, and affordability, their responses also highlighted low awareness of infrastructural quality as a determinant of developmental outcomes. The study concludes that township ECD infrastructure reflects a “silent quintile” system—an informal, inequitable tier of provisioning shaped by historical neglect, regulatory ambiguity, and constrained investment. It argues for targeted infrastructure grants, strengthened monitoring mechanisms, and parental awareness campaigns to ensure that ECD infrastructure supports rather than hinders child development. This article contributes to the growing discourse on structural inequality in early childhood provisioning and calls for policy coherence and cross-sectoral collaboration to advance the right to quality early learning for all children in South Africa.

Play-based learning is a pedagogical approach that emphasises the use of play in promoting multiple areas of children’s development and learning. Free and guided play are two types of play-based learning that guide early learning. The children acquire concepts, skills, and attitudes that lay the foundation for lifelong learning through play pedagogies. Exposing learners to a rich vocabulary through reading, story-telling, and social interaction is key in play-based learning. This research aimed to explore the impact of play-based learning on the development of children in mobile Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) centres. Social constructivism theory was used to understand the impact of play-passed learning on children’s development in ECE. Using convenience sampling, the research followed an interpretive qualitative case study, and eight (8) practitioners were selected to participate. Data sources included practitioners’ interviews and the centres’ observations. Using the thematic approach, the findings revealed that the practitioners in rural areas had an insufficient understanding of teaching using play pedagogies. This had a negative impact on standard provisions for play pedagogies suited for young children, where appropriate suggestions are offered to the practitioners on the planning, implementation, and support of play practices within early learning. Furthermore, there is a shift in the early learning curricula incorporating advanced academic skills, a beneficial tool to aid children’s learning and development.

This research explored the challenges impeding practitioners’ proper implementation of mathematical play practice environment using a qualitative phenomenological research approach. This study was conducted in Motheo District which is in Mangaung Municipality in the Free State with ten females who had obtained matric certificate qualification at least have three years’ experience working in the ECCE setting as the sample. This sample was purposively chosen for this research. A structured interview guide was used as tool for data collection and its trustworthiness was properly ensured. After the data had been collected, the real processing, analysis, and interpretation of the data took place. We conducted a thematic analysis of the data. With the help of this technique, we were able to analyze the unstructured interview responses and find trends and themes. It was found that the challenges impeding practitioners’ proper mathematical play practice environment are constraints to proper mathematical play in relation to indoor and outdoor resources and infrastructure; constraints emanating from practitioners’ qualifications and constraints relating to support expected from the DSD and DBE, as custodians of ECCE. This finding has practical and policy implications in the sense that the practitioners cannot effectively implement mathematical play practice environment in the presence of the identified challenges unless adequate policy framework is designed to take care of such challenges. Thus, it is recommended that the appropriate authority should design an implementable policy guideline on the use of mathematical play practice environment.