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Over the last five years, LETCEE has developed a community-based model of early childhood development which has attracted widespread interest. The initiative involves selecting, training and deploying “family facilitators” to visit and support poor and vulnerable children who do not attend pre-school, and to support the child’s caregivers. The local community plays a central role through the representative community committee which selects family facilitators, identifies vulnerable children and oversees the implementation of the project. This model was first developed as part of the Izingane Zethu project in the Kranscop area. A refined model, the SIYABATHANDA ABANTWANA project is now being implemented in Matimatolo, a rural area about 20 km from Greytown. The success of the model is the importance attached to building strong relationships of trust and support; between LETCEE and the local community; between family facilitators and caregivers; between family facilitators and vulnerable children; and between project participants and the community more widely. These relationships are the bedrock on which the care and support of poor and vulnerable young children are established. Another characteristic is the importance of using local community resources as assets in the project, in particular the family facilitators themselves and the community committee that supports them, as a way of validating and developing local knowledge and resources.  Please confirm attendance with Sam Gannon: s.b.gannon@warwick.ac.uk  *Refreshments will be provided in the building foyer from 4pm.*