Harnessing Islamic Philanthropy for Equitable Early Childhood Care: A Sustainable Development Perspective in Malaysia

This paper explores the transformative potential of Islamic philanthropy in enhancing Malaysia’s early childhood care (ECC) system, with a particular focus on addressing entrenched social inequalities and promoting sustainable development. While ECC is recognized as a foundational pillar for long-term societal well-being, significant disparities persist in access, affordability, and quality, especially in rural and low-income urban communities. Despite ongoing governmental efforts, current models fall short in equitably serving marginalized populations. This study identifies a critical research gap in the integration of culturally embedded, community-driven financing mechanisms, namely Zakat (obligatory almsgiving), Sadaqah (voluntary charity), and Waqf (endowment) into ECC delivery frameworks. Islamic philanthropy, rooted in distributive justice and communal responsibility, remains underutilized in formal childcare development discourse and policymaking. Using qualitative content analysis of policy documents, academic literature, and regional case studies, the study identifies key intervention themes: financial sustainability, accessibility and equity, quality enhancement, and stakeholder collaboration. It further examines how digital innovations and participatory governance models can enhance transparency, efficiency, and impact. The findings suggest that Islamic philanthropy can play a strategic role in achieving Malaysia’s national development goals and aligning ECC services with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study contributes to emerging literature on faith-based financing and offers policy recommendations for embedding Islamic philanthropic instruments within national ECC systems to build a more inclusive and resilient society.