Dehradun: In a significant step towards strengthening Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) across Uttarakhand, the Women Empowerment and Child Development Department (WECD), Government of Uttarakhand, and Dost Learning Foundation formally renewed their partnership through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the Directorate premises in Dehradun.
The MoU was signed by Mr. Banshidhar Rana, Director, WECD Uttarakhand, and Mrs. Richa Shukla, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Dost Learning Foundation. The renewed collaboration reflects a shared commitment to improving the quality of early learning and child development services across the state.
The event was attended by Ms. Saroj Tripathi, ECCE Nodal Officer from WECD, along with Ms. Disha Rajwar and Mr. Arun Mishra, Operations Managers from Dost Learning Foundation.
The partnership aims to accelerate the implementation of Uttarakhand Government’s flagship ECCE initiatives, including Navchetna, Aadharshila and the Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi campaign. Through this collaboration, special emphasis will be placed on improving the quality of Anganwadi Centres, increasing family engagement and creating a supportive environment for children’s holistic development.
Under the renewed agreement, Dost Learning Foundation will continue supporting programmes across all 13 districts of Uttarakhand. The organization will contribute through innovative interventions such as digital learning support, story-based language development, community engagement activities and strengthening model Anganwadi Centres.
Officials highlighted that the early years of a child’s life lay the foundation for future learning, health and social development. Therefore, strengthening collaboration among families, communities and Anganwadi Centres is essential to ensure positive developmental outcomes for children.
The partnership also seeks to empower Anganwadi workers with effective learning tools and resources that can enhance children’s educational experiences. Storytelling-based approaches and digital educational content are expected to improve language development, communication skills and early literacy among young learners.
Speaking on the occasion, officials emphasized that quality early childhood education plays a crucial role in shaping confident, healthy and capable citizens. Investments in the early years generate long-term benefits for children, families and society as a whole.
The renewed collaboration represents an important step towards ensuring that every child in Uttarakhand has access to opportunities for learning, development and care. It is expected to further strengthen the state’s efforts to build a child-friendly ecosystem that promotes inclusive growth and lifelong learning.
With the support of government institutions, communities and development partners, Uttarakhand continues to move forward in its mission of providing quality early childhood care and education to every child across the state.
