WHO
WE ARE

Places to Grow, a catalyst for excellence in early childhood development, education and care in the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia. Our portfolio of innovative and collaborative projects foster relationships in the social services, education, advocacy, and research sectors. Our mission is to create a collaborative community united by a single vision: to help every child realise their potential to contribute to society in the future.

WHAT
WE DO

At Places to Grow, we focus on harnessing the potential of early childhood development, education and care (ECD/ECEC) programs. Our network is a tapestry of projects spanning Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia that encourages a culture of collaboration, shared knowledge, and continuous learning to drive systemic changes in the ECD/ECEC sector.

By forging strong relationships with various stakeholders, advocating for evidence-based policies, and promoting innovative practices, we strive to create a supportive environment where every child and family can thrive. Our mission transcends beyond immediate goals, as we are committed to laying a solid foundation for a more equitable and discrimination-free ECD/ECEC future.

WHY WE
DO IT

The early years in life play a pivotal role in shaping one’s future health, well-being and contribution to society. Studies show that ECD/ECEC programs can help children prioritise personal development and develop critical coping skills. That is also why high-quality ECD/ECEC programs belong to interventions with the highest documented returns for all, including the potential to break the cycle of poverty. But today, families in many regions across Central and Eastern Europe suffer from little to no access to any childcare and education, let alone ECD/ECEC programs with a proven design.

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“Places to Grow has enabled our team to develop our expertise on ECD systems, gain inspiration for our work in strengthening ECD in Slovakia, and gain many new contacts in the region and other EU countries for our current and future work.”

Veronika Miškech
Carpathian Foundation Slovakia / Karpatská nadácia

“We know how important supportive caregiving environments are for achieving positive health and developmental outcomes for children. I am excited about the approach “Places to Grow” is taking in catalyzing the cooperation among many actors that is required to create these kinds of supportive environments and in fostering learning across the three countries, which can accelerate progress towards helping all children thrive.”

James Cairns
Harvard Center on the Developing Child

“For me, Places to Grow is a network of amazing people and great organizations dedicated to the early childhood development agenda in our region; an incubator of new and innovative ideas and solutions and a huge source of inspiration, but also a great capacity building and support programme for all professionals working tirelessly to improve the lives of youngest children, especially the most vulnerable.”

Lucie Plešková
UNICEF

“At Places to Grow, we have connected with other players who are working to support, develop and evaluate early childhood development programs. It is useful to see different approaches to this topic in other countries. We are grateful that we have been able to find a partner here for an in-depth evaluation of our OMAMA program, which we will use in its improvement and advocacy activities.”

Pavel Hrica
Cesta Von