One of the best ways to organize HI-ECD services is to understand the national strategy and the blueprint of other successful units. On the second series of this National HI-ECD Webinar run by the Coordinating Ministry of Human Development and the Culture Republic of Indonesia with the National Coalition of Holistic-Integrative Early Childhood Development (HI-ECD), ARNEC, Tanoto Foundation, and NINOS Education, the outstanding invited speakers shared different game plans on executing their best practices of HI-ECD. Learning how all levels of stakeholders have a significant role from the previous webinar, this series managed to deliver points from the perspective of the National Population and Family Planning Board, the Ministry of Education,  and Culture, Research, and Technology,  the Ministry of Village, Development of Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration, the Association of Indonesian Early Childhood Educators and Education Personnel, and educators of ECD unitsservicesunits from West Java, Riau-Sumatera, and West Papua.

Having the second webinar hosted on a Wednesday of March 9th, 2022, over 17600 participants took part in this discovery from start to end. Participants joined this webinar both via Zoom conference call and YouTube Livestream. During this session, the committee received more than 150 questions from participants, proving how the topics are still relevant to their needs. These questions vary from something conceptual about the bigger picture of HI-ECD to the HI-ECD practices in each unit.

The first set of panelists demonstrated the designs of executing HI ECD in Indonesia, which starts from strengthening the legal basis; elevating the commitment, advocacy, and coordination of all stakeholders; capacity building and competency upgrading for educators; serving equal, affordable, and quality units; and internalizing religious and cultural values. Such a design is targeted not only to educate the children but also families as their primary educators. For example, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology offered a parenting class to prevent stunting.  Moreover, one eye-opening strategy coming from Prof. Dr. Ir. Netti Herawati M.Si in the second panel is the utilization of data-driven principles when arranging HI-ECD-related means. This action can be completed by doing simple data collection so that the programs initiated can be customized to their purposes and essentials. In addition, these panelists also emphasized how teachers could help reduce and mitigate stunting by observing children and reporting to parents. Teachers can also provide children with extra food at ECD units while educating parents on giving children adequate nutrition.

Furthermore, a collaboration with the government’s education, healthcare, social, family, and civil services became a consistent core mentioned as their best practices by the ECD educators. On the other hand, each ECD unit servicesunits  shall also turn its uniqueness into meaningful activities. For instance, Kasih Maitreya Kindergarten in Riau initiated a charity program not only because they have children with low social economic status but also to teach the value of caring and empathy to their students. Other inspirational programs include letting children explore their field of interest through Marketing Day, Parents Talk Show on Professions, and Home Visit.

Even with a strategic national guide and influential models from the curated units, HI-ECD cannot optimally function if the people’s attitude remains ignorant. Therefore, it is also important to always spread the awareness and campaign for parents to be involved and enroll their children in ECD units. The recorded webinar is available at https://youtu.be/Kj3adcQuWK8. Resources from speakers are also accessible via https://bit.ly/MateriSeriWebinar2. We will have our final session of the webinar on March 16th, 2022. The link to sign up will be posted on our Instagram, @ninoseducation.