SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT FINALISING ECD STIMULUS PACKAGE AARON DUBE High-quality ECD . THE Social Development Department say they are in process of finalising the Early Childhood Development stimulus employment relief fund payments. Social Development spokeswoman, Lumka Oliphant, said following the national call from the Department of Social Development for all Early Childhood Development programmes to apply for the ECD Employment Stimulus Relief Fund (ECD-ESRF), verification and payments are now being processed for qualifying ECDs. She said the department received 28 283 applications which translates to 125 407 staff members by the end of the closing date. "As part of the cleaning and removal of duplicate applications amongst others, the number of applications on the system is 25 571 applications with 116 102 staff members.