ABU DHABI, 25th September, 2026 (WAM) — Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Development and Fallen Heroes’ Affairs and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority, the first national edition of Early Childhood Week will take place across the UAE from 16 to 22 November 2026.
Led by the Ministry of Family in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA), the initiative aims to raise awareness of the importance of the early years of a child’s life, support the role of families and caregivers, and broaden participation across sectors in providing environments and experiences that support children’s development and wellbeing.
Held as part of the Year of Family’s national programmes, the Week reflects the central place of early childhood and the family among the UAE’s national priorities.
Under the theme “Every Moment Matters!”, the Week highlights the family’s role as a cornerstone of a cohesive and prosperous society. It will bring this principle to life by transforming public spaces into interactive environments for learning and play, giving parents and caregivers practical and accessible opportunities to connect with their children.
Early Childhood Week will offer a range of community activities and experiences designed to strengthen connections between children, their parents and caregivers, and the wider support ecosystem, including the social, health, education and sport sectors.
The early years are the most formative stage of a child’s growth and development. By the age of five, 90% of brain development is complete, helping to shape a child’s ability to learn, grow and connect with others, as well as how they see the world around them.
Sana bint Mohammed Suhail, Minister of Family, said: “Early Childhood Week is a national initiative that brings together families, government entities, the private sector and community organisations within an integrated ecosystem that supports children during the most influential stage of their lives.
“Expanding the Week nationwide will create significant momentum to broaden partnerships, exchange expertise and provide high-quality experiences that support children’s development and wellbeing, in line with the directives of the UAE’s wise leadership and the country’s approach to advancing quality of life and building a more cohesive and future-ready society.”
She added that holding the Week in conjunction with the Year of Family translates the UAE’s vision for supporting every stage of child development into everyday practices that strengthen the role of the family throughout this journey.
It also equips parents and caregivers with the knowledge and experience needed to enrich the moments they spend with their children. She noted that these efforts contribute to promoting positive parenting, strengthening family bonds, and creating environments that nurture children’s potential and open up opportunities for them to learn, grow, and thrive.
This year, families across the UAE can look forward to a rich programme of activations and experiences designed to support learning and wellbeing and strengthen family engagement. The programme will include play-based learning activities, workshops for parents and caregivers, family health and wellbeing experiences, arts and music performances, storytelling sessions, cultural and heritage activations, sports programmes and physical activities, and community engagement initiatives.
It will also feature events delivered in partnership with organisations across the health, education, technology, sport and community sectors.
The Ministry of Family and the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority invite organisations to contribute to the objectives of the Year of Family and take part in the Early Childhood Week programme by organising activations and experiences for families and children.
Interested organisations may register their interest by emailing ECWeek@eca.gov.ae. Official partners and the full programme will be announced in the lead-up to the Week.
Early Childhood Week continues to grow in scale and impact with each edition. Last year, more than 70 partners delivered over 300 activations and experiences, attracting more than 65,000 participants and generating nearly 55,000 hours of engagement and participation across Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
Source: Emirates News Agency