Veva (left) has worked as a childminder for 16 years, and since 2009 has been receiving training and supervision by the ECD staff at Olivais, an early childhood centre in Greater Lisbon, operated by the Aga Khan Foundation. She is shown here playing with children.
AKDN / Lucas Cuervo Moura
Veva (left) has worked as a childminder for 16 years, and since 2009 has been receiving training and …
AKDN / Lucas Cuervo Moura
Through a public-private partnership with the Ministry of Labour and Social Solidarity, and in partnership with the Childhood Association based at the University of Minho, AKF is managing a government early childhood centre near downtown Lisbon.
AKDN / Lucas Cuervo Moura
Through a public-private partnership with the Ministry of Labour and Social Solidarity, and in partnership …
AKDN / Lucas Cuervo Moura
The Olivais Centre in Greater Lisbon is a reference point for quality early childhood development services in Portugal.
AKDN / Lucas Cuervo Moura
The Olivais Centre in Greater Lisbon is a reference point for quality early childhood development services …
AKDN / Lucas Cuervo Moura
The Olivais Centre in Greater Lisbon is a reference point for quality Early Childhood Development services in Portugal.
AKDN / Lucas Cuervo Moura
The Olivais Centre in Greater Lisbon is a reference point for quality Early Childhood Development services …
AKDN / Lucas Cuervo Moura
Portugal | Early Childhood Development
The Early Childhood Development (ECD) Programme aims to build and strengthen systems and institutions that invest in the development of children, families and professionals.
3,500
AKF’s ECD programmes reached 3,500 people in 2024
The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) started by investing locally in ECD in the early 1980s, undertaking hands-on research to develop a child-centred learning model that would transform the preschool experience. The pedagogy-in-participation model has been developed in partnership with the Childhood Association since the early 1990s. It is used in various contexts within Greater Lisbon.
Early Childhood Centre at Olivais Sul
This led to an invitation by the government’s Institute of Social Security to manage the Olivais Sul ECD Centre, in Lisbon, between 2009 and 2024. The Centre has become a living laboratory for learning and knowledge sharing. It inspires others, with national spin-off programmes such as the Training Programme for Childminders and other Caregivers of Young Children, the Early and Family Literacy Programme, the participatory pedagogy “train the trainers”, and the parental support programme. The Centre fosters teacher capacity building and professional development through in-service training and postgraduate studies. AKF now supports its pedagogical supervision.
Our ECD programmes and training reached 3,500 children and 650 staff in 2024.
Offering a more family-like environment, the childminders in Portugal participate in training provided by AKF’s Early Childhood Development staff allowing them to improve their skills in caring for young children.
AKDN / Lucas Cuervo Moura
Parental Support and Caregivers
The Training Programme for Childminders and other Caregivers of Young Children provides a holistic view of education and care in childhood development. It involves a training and research programme on participatory pedagogies in family daycare, through supervision / follow-up and training.
Gerar.Te is a unique initiative in Portugal. It targets pregnant women and couples awaiting the birth of a baby, and parents of newborns. It helps with the transition to parenthood, ensuring a good start in life and development opportunities based on family relationships.
Literacy Programmes
The Literacy Promotion Integrated Program (PIPL) is the first Social Impact Bond on education in Portugal. The programme promotes professional development of early childhood and primary school teachers, informing their practice with research on literacy teaching.
It is an action-research programme aiming to improve preschool and first grade children’s reading and writing competencies to contribute to school success. The Ministry of Education is embedding the results and learning into public policy. PIPL has reached 92 teachers and 1,569 students and displayed a 58 percent increase in reading competencies of sample children (in 2020), against a 30 percent target.
The informal family literacy programme Conto Contigo is short and playful. It is designed for public and school libraries, CSOs or other organisations working with families. Its objective is to foster parental skills to support the development of literacy in preschool children (five to six years). It predominantly targets families with migratory or ethnic backgrounds, or those at risk of economic, social, or cultural exclusion. It is based on scientifically grounded evidence showing that children who benefit from family environments rich in literacy practices and habits develop literacy skills and motivation to learn, read and write. The programme has reached 386 professionals from school and municipal libraries and 45 public and school libraries.