ISSA’s Annual Conference, offers a unique platform to listen to the world’s leading early childhood experts, an opportunity learn from your peers and to share the knowledge and experience which you have gained while working in the field.

For the first time, ISSA has joined forces with a municipality as well as a member to co-host the 2017 Conference.  The City of Ghent has long been at the vanguard of early childhood development services and in conjunction with our Belgian-based member, VBJK, and conference partners Artevelde University College and Ghent University, we extend a warm welcome to everyone concerned with the care and education of young children.

The focus of the 2017 Conference: Local Responses, Global Advances: Towards Competent Early Childhood Systems will examine how the speed of change in today’s world requires substantial shifts in the ways early childhood systems are designed, equipped, governed, financed and supported. As we strive to capitalize on the tremendous importance that early childhood development has for children, families and communities, it is time to embrace a systemic approach to addressing the critical problems that hinder children’s and families’ rights, and to learn from local responsive approaches to build competent early childhood systems.

 ISSA Conference 2017 will unite the knowledge and practice of researchers, practitioners, policy makers, parents and NGOs from around the world to explore these themes through insightful discussions and interactive sessions, while sharing their wisdom and solutions.