As we close this year, we are reminded of a familiar moment in history. Before the Renaissance illuminated Europe, it was preceded by centuries often called the “Dark Ages”, a term that obscures the quiet breakthroughs, steady innovation, and determination that made later flourishing possible. 

This past year held a similar truth for us at the ISSA Network Hub. It was a year marked by resilience, adaptation, and honest reckoning as we navigated funding challenges, shifts in the early childhood landscape, and the emotional weight of saying goodbye to colleagues who have shaped ISSA’s journey for so long. Their dedication continues to live in our work, inspiring us as we step into the next chapter. 

At the same time, the internal transformations were deeply tangible. Downsizing our office meant opening cupboards and boxes that travelled with ISSA from Budapest to Leiden more than a decade ago. It took weeks of sorting through boxes, deciding what to keep, what to release, and what stories from our past deserved a place in our future. There were countless trips to the attic and, eventually, we all landed: team, files, and every office plant, together in a shared space which became its own small lesson in adaptation. We negotiated lamps versus ceiling lights, heating on versus heating off, quiet rhythms alongside lively bursts of collaboration. It took patience, humour, and a fair amount of compromise, but slowly our office transformed into a warm, collaborative oasis shaped by care and by the simple act of showing up for one another. 

Amid all this change, something forward-looking took root. What began as a conversation in the spring grew into the ECOS Institute. Over the months, we shaped its purpose, its scope, its identity, and the quality framework that will guide it. Built from the ground up, the Institute represents a bold new chapter for ISSA and for the early childhood field, one that will open new avenues for learning, collaboration, and elevating the work and expertise of our members and partners. 

Through every transition, our members remained at the heart of our purpose. Your commitment, insight, and trust grounded us, inspired us, and reminded us why this work matters. We are equally grateful to our partners and allies, whose collaboration strengthened our ability to continue delivering programmes, consultancies, and support that make a meaningful difference for young children and their families. 

As we turn toward the new year, the sense of an emerging renaissance feels real. With renewed clarity and strengthened community, we look forward to the full launch of the ECOS Institute, to deepening partnerships old and new, and to coming together again at next-chapter ISSA Conference in Lisbon in October 2026. 

We are grateful for everything we have weathered, learned, and created together this year. We wish you a joyful holiday season and a hopeful beginning to the new year. Together, we will continue building a brighter future for every child. 

The Team at the ISSA Network Hub