Early childhood development challenges and the proposed Ten-Nodal Point Regulatory Compliance Framework

Background: Access to quality early childhood development (ECD) is a fundamental right for all children. However, many children worldwide are deprived of quality early childhood outcomes because of the non-compliance of ECD programmes with the sector’s quality standards and the regulatory landscape. Aim: This article, therefore, aimed to explore the compliance challenges impacting the non-government-owned ECD centres and proposes the application of the ECD Centre Ten-Nodal Point Regulatory Compliance Framework to address the identified compliance impediments in the sampled ECD centres. Setting: The study was located at 12 ECD centres in Kempton Park, a city in the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, Gauteng province, South Africa. Methods: The study employed qualitative methods to investigate the non-compliance in the sampled ECD centres. Data were collected from 12 participants through semi-structured interviews supported by document analysis and analysed thematically. Results: Findings revealed that most of the sampled ECD centres operate outside the regulatory framework because of the ECD operators’ failure to navigate the demanding legislative landscape. Conclusion: This research concludes that despite the desire to comply, most of the ECD centres in Kempton Park operate outside the regulatory framework because of the compliance managers’ need to traverse the ECD regulatory system. Contribution: The research advocates for applying the ECD Centre Ten-Nodal Point Regulatory Compliance Framework, which can significantly improve ECD centres’ compliance management. Such improvements are crucial for the sustainability of quality ECD programmes that benefit children, societies and economies.