Nurturing Little Minds: Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority Launches "Their First Years Matter" Campaign

Abu Dhabi's Early Childhood Authority launched a new campaign called "Their Early Years Make a Difference" to highlight how crucial the first eight years of a child's life are - from pregnancy through age eight. The campaign comes ahead of Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Week 2025, running November 17-23, and aims to show families why simple daily moments with children matter so much for their future.

The campaign emphasizes something remarkable: a child's brain develops at an incredible pace during these early years. It forms more than one million new neural connections every second. By age five, about 90% of brain development is complete, and children can recognize at least 10,000 words. These connections become the foundation for mental health, attention, memory, and learning throughout life.

Here's where it gets interesting from an economic standpoint. Research shows investing in early childhood delivers returns of up to 13% annually. Every dirham spent during these early years can save up to 22.40 dirhams in future costs. This makes early childhood investment one of the most effective economic strategies a society can pursue.

The campaign runs as an educational initiative leading up to Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Week 2025, themed "Together Towards Making Abu Dhabi a Family-Friendly Emirate." Families can visit www.adecweek.ae to learn about events and activities happening across the emirate.

But the benefits go beyond economics. When children grow up in environments filled with love, care, and safety, they develop emotional resilience and self-confidence. This creates stronger families and thriving communities. Proper nutrition, responsive caregiving, and safe environments play crucial roles in supporting lifelong physical and mental health while reducing risks of chronic diseases later.

These early years also build essential skills like focus, adaptability, problem-solving, and cooperation - all necessary for school success, building social relationships, and engaging with society.

Dr. Hessa Al Kaabi, Executive Director of Special Projects and Partnerships at Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority, explained that early years represent the starting point in every child's journey. The awareness campaign aims to inspire parents, caregivers, and community members to understand that investing in children's early years strengthens family bonds, empowers communities, and ensures a brighter future for Abu Dhabi.

The Authority stressed that investing in children's first years isn't just families' responsibility - it's a shared community responsibility requiring collaboration between government entities, private sector, and civil society to build supportive, inclusive environments for every child.

The initiative reflects Abu Dhabi's broader strategy to become more family-friendly while recognizing that early childhood development directly impacts long-term social and economic outcomes. By focusing on these formative years, the emirate positions itself to build stronger human capital and more resilient communities for the future.