A strong start requires strong systems.
Children’s earliest years shape lifelong learning, health, wellbeing, and social connection. Yet many countries still lack the integrated systems, financing, workforce, and delivery models needed to support young children and families at scale. EYIC helps partners move from ambition to implementation.
90%
of brain development happens before age 5
CENTER ON THE DEVELOPING CHILD
$13
returned for every $1 invested in quality ECD
HECKMAN EQUATION
250M
children under 5 not reaching their potential
THE LANCET
40+
country systems our team has shaped
EYIC TEAM EXPERIENCE
We Design for Impact from the Start.
Bold in ambition, collaborative in spirit — we bring together global expertise and local insight to ensure policies and investments deliver the strongest possible impact for young children.
What EYIC Does
We tailor interventions for partners’ needs and context, keeping impact at the core — from diagnostic to scale.
01
Technical Advisory
We provide hands-on support to governments and partners to design, reform, and strengthen early childhood systems.
Outputs may include system diagnostics, policy design, institutional frameworks, financing strategies, and embedded reform support.
02
Evidence Translation
We help partners translate global evidence and research into practical guidance for policy and implementation.
Outputs may include evidence syntheses, policy briefs, operational tools, and adaptation of global frameworks to country contexts.
03
Innovation & Foresight
We support partners to anticipate emerging trends and design forward-looking approaches to early childhood systems.
Outputs may include innovation pilots, digital strategies, foresight analyses, and new models for service delivery.
04
Capacity Building
We strengthen the capabilities of institutions, systems, and workforces to deliver quality early childhood services at scale.
Outputs may include training programmes, technical workshops, coaching, learning platforms, and institutional capacity strategies.
05
Technical Sector Advancement
We contribute to shaping the broader early childhood field through partnerships, knowledge generation, and strategic convening.
Outputs may include thought leadership, cross-country learning initiatives, and sector-wide collaboration.
A clear path from ambition to delivery
Every engagement is tailored — but it follows a disciplined arc. We work with you, not for you, building capability that stays in country.
01
Understand Context
We listen, learn, and map your system — actors, financing, evidence base, and bottlenecks.
02
Diagnose System Gaps
We surface what’s working and what isn’t — grounded in evidence and your country reality.
03
Co-design Solutions
We co-create policy, programme, and financing options grounded in global evidence and your context.
04
Support Implementation & Scale
We embed alongside ministries and partners to translate plans into delivery that endures.
Who EYIC Works With
- Governments and sub-national authorities
- Donors, foundations, and IFIs
- UN agencies and multilaterals
- NGOs and civil society partners
- Research and academic institutions
We work through advisory engagements, reform labs, evidence partnerships, capacity-building programmes, and strategic convenings.
Built on decades of experience across UNICEF, governments, and global partners.
The Early Years Impact Center is built on people who are driven by passion and purpose.
A small, seasoned team of system designers, evidence translators and researchers.
Co-Founders
Ivelina Borisova
CO-FOUNDER
Iva is an ECD strategist with over 20 years of experience translating cutting-edge research and evidence into scalable policies. Before setting up the Center, she served as UNICEF’s Regional Advisor for Early Childhood Development in the ECAR Region and previously as UNICEF’s global lead for early childhood education and care. She holds a Doctorate in Human Development and Education from Harvard University.
Jessica Brown
CO-FOUNDER
Jess specializes in designing national ECD system reforms and working with diverse partners to practically apply these. With over 13 years in early childhood and education, she has worked with governments, UN agencies, EU DGs and Delegations, the private sector, and NGOs. She currently leads ECD programmes as Programme Director for INGO Development Workshop.
Affiliated-Experts
Korina Hatzinikolaou
AFFILIATE EXPERT
Associate Professor of Developmental Psychopathology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. 20+ years at the intersection of child protection, human rights, and early childhood policy.
Hsiao-Chen Lin
AFFILIATE EXPERT
ECD Specialist with 12+ years across Africa, Europe, Central Asia, and South Asia. Technical leadership for UNICEF at HQ, regional and country levels.
Vera Rangelova
AFFILIATE EXPERT
ECD Expert building early years services into health and family support systems. Instrumental in developing UNICEF–WHO ECD in Health frameworks.
POLICY BRIEFS & INSIGHTS
Quarterly evidence digests for early years policy makers.
Concise, practical syntheses — what’s working in country reforms, new financing approaches, and frontier issues like AI and climate.
START A CONVERSATION
Tell us about your country, programme, or partnership idea.
ADDRESS
WTC Almeda Park, Plaça de la Pau, s/n,
08940 Cornellà de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
WTC Almeda Park, Plaça de la Pau, s/n,
08940 Cornellà de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
EMAIL
info@eyic.org
info@eyic.org
WEBSITE
www.eyic.org
www.eyic.org
Start a conversation.
Tell us about your country, programme, or partnership idea.
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