Supporting Parents, Advocating for Early Childhood

Parenting babies and toddlers is never simple. In Israel today, amid years of uncertainty, security concerns, disrupted routines and emotional strain, it can feel even more demanding.

There is also another kind of pressure. The image of “perfect parenting” that often appears on social media can feel very far from the reality of sleepless nights, difficult transitions, tantrums, uncertainty and the everyday questions that come with raising a young child.

Recognizing those needs, WIZO’s Early Childhood Division has made parental support a central focus this year.

The goal is not only to provide high-quality early childhood education inside WIZO daycare centers, but also to strengthen the parents raising those children and create a supportive community around them.

Talking About Parenting

One of the central initiatives is Talking About Parenting, a year-long series of meetings addressing some of the milestones and challenges that families encounter during the early years.

Throughout the year, parents can take part in sessions on issues including adapting to daycare, parental authority and boundaries, establishing sleep routines, behavioral challenges and encouraging independence.

The aim is practical: to give parents useful knowledge, reassurance and tools they can bring directly into everyday family life.

That support is being extended in several ways.

A dedicated quiet WhatsApp group gives parents an easy way to receive short tips, information and reminders directly to their phones.

WIZO is also offering practical workshops and joint parent-child activities inside its daycare centers, developed in cooperation with WIZO’s Division for the Advancement of the Status of Women.

Together, these initiatives reflect a broader understanding of early childhood care: supporting a young child also means supporting the adults caring for that child at home.

From the Daycare Center to the National Agenda

WIZO’s work on behalf of young children does not stop at the daycare door.

With Israel heading toward elections, WIZO sees an important opportunity to ensure that early childhood education and care remain high on the national agenda.

The challenges facing the field are substantial. In 2026, Knesset discussions have addressed issues including shortages of thousands of early childhood staff and the stability and funding of daycare frameworks, underscoring the need for long-term policy attention.

As an apolitical organization, WIZO is engaging decision-makers from across the political spectrum with one objective: advancing the wellbeing of young children, their families and the professionals who care for them.

WIZO has welcomed elected officials and public leaders into its daycare centers and continues an ongoing dialogue with policymakers and professionals in the field. These conversations are intended to bring the reality of early childhood education directly to those shaping policy: the needs of children, the challenges facing staff, and the importance of building a strong, professional system from birth onward.

Among those involved in discussions are senior education officials, current and former elected representatives, and professionals working on early childhood policy. MK Naama Lazimi, for example, currently chairs the Knesset’s Special Committee on Young Israelis, which has addressed issues affecting daycare services during 2026.

One such meeting took place at WIZO’s bilingual daycare center in Jaffa.

Following her visit, MK Lazimi spoke about the need to place early childhood education at the center of national priorities and praised the educators, caregivers and professional teams she met there as partners in strengthening the system.

For WIZO, that is the heart of the issue.

Whether through a conversation with a parent, a workshop inside a daycare center, or a meeting with a policymaker, the purpose is the same: to create the strongest possible environment around every baby and toddler.

Because giving children the best possible start requires more than one excellent classroom.

It requires supported parents, professional teams, strong communities and a national commitment to the earliest years of life.