This issue paper focuses on community-based early childhood development (ECD) centers, defined as centers established at the community level for the holistic development (i.e., physical, socioemotional, and cognitive) of young children, to meet their needs and those of their caregivers, family, and community through a childcare setting. Community-based ECD centers can be an important focal point for delivering comprehensive services to young children while enhancing the capacity of caregivers, families, and communities to support the healthy development of young children. While this paper focuses specifically on children affected by and living with HIV, it is important to note that as per the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) guidance, in areas with greater than 5 percent HIV prevalence, all children are considered vulnerable.

This paper is intended to provide OVC program managers with examples of best practices in quality community-based ECD center programming from which to draw in order to meet the ECD needs of the children they serve. Four case studies are provided (see pages 5 and 13, and Appendix 1 and 2) as examples of how OVC programs have integrated aspects of community-based ECD. There is also a list of considerations when planning for quality community-based ECD centers.