Section 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is hereby declared the policy of the State to promote the rights of children to survival, development and special protection with full recognition of the nature of childhood and as well as the need to provide developmentally appropriate experiences to address their needs; and to support parents in their roles as primary caregivers and as their children’s first teachers. Further, the State hereby recognizes the age from zero (0) to eight (8) years as the first crucial stage of educational development of which the age from zero (0) to four (4) years shall be the responsibility of the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Council. Therefore, the responsibility to help develop children in the formative years between age five (5) to eight (8) years shall be with the Department of Education (DepED).

The State shall institutionalize a National System for Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) that is comprehensive, integrative and sustainable, that involves multisectoral and interagency collaboration at the national and local levels among government; among service providers, families and communities, and among the public and private sectors, nongovernment organizations; professional associations and academic institutions.

The System shall promote the inclusion of children with special needs, provide for reasonable accommodation and accessible environments for children with disabilities and advocate respect for cultural and linguistic diversity, including the use of Filipino Sign Language as the visual language of the deaf community. It shall be anchored on complementary strategies for ECCD that include service delivery for children from age zero (0) to four (4) years, educating parents and caregivers, encouraging the active involvement of parents and communities in ECCD programs, raising awareness about the important efforts that improve the quality of life for young children and families.