Jockey Club “Bright Start” Project Launches, Highlighting Early Childhood Care During Crises

The Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response (CCOUC) participated in the Cohort 3 Kick-off Meeting of the Jockey Club “Bright Start” Project on 27 June 2026, represented by its Assistant Director, Dr Chunlan Guo. Funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, the project aims to enhance the quality of early childhood educare for children aged 0–3 in Hong Kong through evidence-based practices and cross-sector collaboration.

Led by the Yew Chung College of Early Childhood Education, the project brings together professional partners, including the Pacific Early Childhood Education Research Association (PECERA) and The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), to promote evidence-based early childhood care and education through cross-sector collaboration. The Centre for Global Health (CGH) at CUHK, led by Professor Emily Ying-yang Chan and Dr Lilian Wong, is among the key partners contributing to the initiative. Six early childhood care centres participated in the third cohort.

The kick-off meeting brought together project leaders and representatives, including Dr Carly Ng from Yew Chung College of Early Childhood Education, Ms Vega Poon representing PECERA, Dr Lilian Wong from CGH, and Dr Lancelot Mui from CUHK's JC School of Public Health and Primary Care. Participants exchanged perspectives on project implementation and opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration.

An important topic of discussion was the care and protection of young children during crises and emergencies. Recognising the particular vulnerabilities and developmental needs of children aged 0–3, the discussion explored the relevance of early childhood care to disaster preparedness, public health and community resilience.

CCOUC's participation provided an opportunity to connect expertise in health emergency and disaster risk management with early childhood care and education. The exchange highlighted the importance of considering the needs of very young children and their caregivers in broader approaches to emergency preparedness and community resilience.