Since 2022, Instituto Tecendo Infâncias has been part of the alliance of organizations enabling Brazil’s participation in the International Early Learning and Child Well-being Study (IELS), coordinated by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and implemented in the country by the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro – UFRJ).

In addition to the Institute, the alliance includes B3 Social – Brasil, Bolsa, Balcão; Colibri Capital Ltda.; Fundação Itaú; Fundação Lia Maria Aguiar; Fundação Maria Cecilia Souto Vidigal; Instituto Beja; Instituto Lemann; Perfin Wealth Management Ltda.; Pragma Gestão de Patrimônio Ltda.; and Serviço Social da Indústria (SESI).

This is a landmark initiative designed to generate internationally comparable data on the development of five-year-old children, covering dimensions such as literacy, numeracy, self-regulation, and socio-emotional development, with strong potential to inform public policies in education, health, and social protection.

In partnership with the organizations that make up the alliance, the Institute’s support contributed to strengthening Brazil’s participation in the study through strategic financial support and network-based collaboration. This engagement helped raise awareness among public leaders, schools, and families about the importance of an integrated approach to early childhood, while also enabling the generation of unprecedented data on the Brazilian context, essential for informing evidence-based public policies.

The study’s pre-test, conducted in 2024 in the states of Ceará, Pará, and São Paulo, involved 426 children across 31 schools and generated important insights into methodology, family engagement, and field logistics.

In 2025, the final sample included 240 schools and early childhood education centers across 91 municipalities in these three states, involving approximately 3,000 children, 2,750 teachers, 2,500 family members, and 220 field supervisors and researchers responsible for conducting activities with the children and administering questionnaires to families and teachers.

Analysis of the final sample will strengthen the evidence base on how family, school, and community environments influence child development in Brazil, with the release of results expected in the first quarter of 2026.

By participating in this initiative, the Institute reaffirms its conviction that the production and dissemination of consistent knowledge are essential to advancing equitable public policies and strengthening early childhood systems.