Jakarta, 17 December 2025 – Early childhood is not merely a phase of growth, but the foundation that determines the quality of human capital and a nation’s future competitiveness. Yet to this day, the fulfilment of young children’s rights and wellbeing continues to face major challenges, both globally and nationally.

UNESCO (2022) reports that only around two thirds of children aged 36 to 59 months worldwide are developing in line with their developmental stages, while UNICEF notes that more than half of children have experienced severe violence.

In Indonesia, national stunting prevalence remains at 19.8 percent (National Team for the Acceleration of Stunting Reduction, 2024). Meanwhile, Statistics Indonesia (2025) shows that the Gross Enrolment Rate for early childhood education stands at only 36 percent, alongside persistent challenges related to the quality and capacity of early childhood educators.

These data highlight the wide gaps that remain, ranging from access to services and quality of caregiving to weak cross-sector coordination in early childhood development. Strong advocacy is therefore required to drive policy and practice reforms so that early childhood development becomes more holistic, evidence based, and cross sectoral.

Without close synergy between health, education, caregiving, and social protection, Indonesia risks losing momentum in human capital development and its demographic dividend on the path towards Indonesia Emas 2045.

Recognising this urgency, Tanoto Foundation, an independent philanthropic organisation focusing on education and health, convened the 2025 International Symposium on Early Childhood Education and Development (ECED) under the theme “ECED Ecosystem Synergy in Promoting the Best Start in Life” in Jakarta on Wednesday, 17 December 2025.

To ensure that every child receives the best possible start in life, solutions must be cross sectoral, evidence based, and sustainable. Collaboration among central and local governments, international organisations, research institutions, civil society, and the philanthropic sector is key to strengthening early childhood development.

Accordingly, Tanoto Foundation partnered with ministries and cross sector organisations, including the Ministry of National Development Planning/Bappenas, the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, and the Ministry of Population and Family Development, as well as UNICEF, SEAMEO CECCEP, ARNEC, ECED Council Indonesia, and others.

The symposium discussions were structured around two main sub-themes. The morning segment, “Synergising Health and Education for ECED”, emphasised the importance of integrating health, nutrition, and education services as the foundation of children’s development from an early age. This session highlighted innovations in growth and development monitoring, nutrition interventions, and the strengthening of early stimulation within primary service systems.

The afternoon segment focused on “Parenting and Early Learning”, positioning families, particularly parents and caregivers, as key actors within the early childhood ecosystem. Discussions explored the role of responsive caregiving, interaction based early learning, and policy and programme support to strengthen parents’ capacity to support children’s optimal growth and learning.

Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin, who officially opened the symposium, underscored that fulfilling young children’s right to life and health is the cornerstone of human development.

“The age of 0 to 5 years is a highly decisive phase in determining whether a person will grow into a healthy, intelligent adult who can contribute to the nation, including to increased per capita income,” said the Minister of Health.

He added that priority must be placed on ensuring children can live and grow in good health. “We must act very quickly. If we do not, we risk missing Indonesia’s demographic dividend, and this is our responsibility to our children,” he stressed.

The Government of Indonesia has reaffirmed its commitment to early childhood development through the Long-Term National Development Plan 2025 to 2045 and the Medium-Term National Development Plan 2025 to 2029, with Holistic and Integrated Early Childhood Development (PAUD-HI) designated as a key performance indicator. The second phase of the National Action Plan for Holistic and Integrated ECED 2025 to 2029 will also be launched soon as a framework for multisector collaboration.

Opening the afternoon session, Minister of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Arifatul Choiri Fauzi highlighted the symposium’s role in strengthening policy direction. “This forum brings together strategic cross sector perspectives. We encourage the resulting recommendations to be used to strengthen policies, regulations, and service innovations for early childhood development,” she explained.

Continuing the session, Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology Prof. Stella Christie emphasised the importance of science based parenting and high quality interactions between children and parents or caregivers.

“As a researcher, I have found that caregiving with optimal interaction between children and caregivers has the greatest potential to maximise child development. No technology, including artificial intelligence, can replace the power of human interaction,” said Prof. Stella.

She explained that children learn through curiosity and imitation. “Children develop by asking questions and by observing and copying. Therefore, it is important to give them the widest possible opportunities to learn through questions, to respond in ways that stimulate thinking, and to provide good examples in everyday life,” she added.

Prof. Stella stressed that parenting grounded in scientific evidence and meaningful relationships forms the foundation of brain development and lifelong learning.

At the same occasion, CEO of Tanoto Foundation Benny Lee reaffirmed that early life is the most decisive phase in a person’s life journey, shaping brain development, health, and character.

“The early years are a critical starting point. This is when the foundations of human capacity are formed, with impacts that last a lifetime. That is why we need a truly supportive ecosystem, not driven by a single institution, but through collaboration among all stakeholders,” said Benny.

He added that Tanoto Foundation’s current focus is on strengthening a comprehensive ecosystem for young children and families.

“For Tanoto Foundation, early childhood development is a primary investment. We believe that when government, civil society, academia, and the philanthropic sector work together, the impact will be far greater and more sustainable,” Benny concluded.

This year’s symposium was attended by around 200 participants, with speakers from a wide range of institutions and organisations.

Government speakers included:

• Deputy for Coordination of Family Quality Improvement and Population, Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture, Woro Srihastuti Sulistyaningrum
• Deputy for Family Welfare and Family Empowerment, National Population and Family Planning Board (BKKBN), Nopian Andusti
• Assistant Deputy for Early Childhood and Basic Education, Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture, Jazziray Hartoyo
• Director of Family Health Services, Ministry of Health, Lovely Daisy
• Director of Primary and Secondary Education, Ministry of National Development Planning/Bappenas, Suprapto Budinugroho
• Senior Education Quality Assurance Expert, Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Harris Iskandar
• Chair of the Family Welfare and Empowerment Movement (TP PKK), East Java Province, Arumi Bachsin

Speakers from development organisations, academia, research institutions, and philanthropy included:

• President and CEO, Childhood Education International, Diane Whitehead
• Chief of Nutrition, UNICEF, Mamadou Ndiaye
• Executive Director, ARNEC, Evelyn Santiago
• Octapharma Chaired Professor of Decision Neuroscience, INSEAD, Prof. Dr. Hilke Plassmann
• Director, SEAMEO CECCEP, Prof. Vina Adriany
• Deputy Director of Programmes, SEAMEO CECCEP, Widodo Suhartoyo
• Coordinator, National Coalition for Holistic and Integrated ECED, Irma Yuliantina
• Chair, ECED Council Indonesia, Prof. Fasli Jalal
• Director, Indonesian Fortification Coalition, Nina Sardjunani
• Member of ECED Council Indonesia and BAN PAUD, Dr. Gutama

“This symposium is a commitment to ensure that every parent receives the support they need, every child receives the stimulation, nutrition, protection, and learning they deserve, and every sector, public, private, and development partners alike, moves forward together. Most importantly, it is about giving every child the strongest and happiest possible start in life,” Benny Lee concluded.