ABSTRACT
The reconstruction of South African society in the post-apartheid era has largely been informed by a rights-based policy making framework aimed at early childhood development (ECD). This framing was critical to effect equity, access and redress in a society ravaged by the apartheid and its attendant ills. In this chapter, there is engagement with major South African levers and selected policies to illustrate how the rights of all young children has been addressed and especially those at the margins. In so doing, the multifaceted nature of the rights in ECD is illustrated. This comprehensive view of rights includes not only rights to ECD in a narrow sense of early stimulation but also how a collection of rights coheres together to constitute rights in and through ECD. This analysis leads to a discussion on the success stories and the challenges in effecting children’s rights in complex cultural contexts. The conclusion calls for multi-level action for sustainable change.
