Since the Millennium Development Goals and Education for All targets were proclaimed in 2000, considerable progress has been made in regard to enhancing the wellbeing of young childrenincluding an increase in both the supply of and demand for preprimary education. In comparison to 1999, by 2012 the global preprimary GERincreased by 64% to 54%. But many young children, including 78% in the Arab States and over 80% in Sub-Saharan Africa, still have no access to these programmesas the result of both low supply and low demand. Obstacles to further increasing the demand for ECD services include structural and political factors, a lack of visibility of these services, poor quality including theirlack of adaptability to the individual needs of their clients, high costs to bothproviders and the consumers, and cultural and contextual constraints such as low parental and community awareness of the benefits of ECD.But policies and strategies can be designed to increase demand. These include laws, policies, and action plans–and more financing –meant to expand affordable ECD services; an increase in the awareness of parents and communities of the benefits of ECD; the promotion of holistic, integrated approaches to early childhood; the clear definition of standards of quality both of ECD services and of children's early learning and development, and strategies and programmes to identify and support those groups most in need of quality ECD services.