▁urban ▁phenomen on , ▁mostly ▁in ▁Kab ul , ▁and ▁were ▁attached ▁to ▁schools , ▁government ▁offices , ▁or ▁fact ories . ▁Based ▁on ▁the ▁Soviet ▁model , ▁these ▁Early ▁Child hood ▁Development ▁programs ▁provided ▁nur ser y ▁care , ▁pr esch ool , ▁and ▁kind erg arten ▁for ▁children ▁from ▁ 3 ▁months ▁to ▁ 6 ▁years ▁of ▁age ▁under ▁the ▁direction ▁of ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁Labor ▁and ▁Social ▁W elf are . ▁ ▁The ▁vast ▁majority ▁of ▁Afghan ▁families ▁were ▁never ▁exposed ▁to ▁this ▁system , ▁and ▁many ▁of ▁these ▁families ▁were ▁in ▁opposition ▁to ▁these ▁programs ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁belief ▁that ▁it ▁dimin ishes ▁the ▁central ▁role ▁of ▁the ▁family ▁and ▁in cul c ates ▁children ▁with ▁Soviet ▁values . ▁With ▁the ▁on set ▁of ▁civil ▁war ▁after ▁the ▁Soviet ▁withdraw al , ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁kind er gart ens ▁dropped ▁rapidly . ▁By ▁ 1 9 9 5 , ▁only ▁ 8 8 ▁function ing ▁facilities ▁serving ▁ 2 , 1 1 0 ▁children ▁surv ived , ▁and ▁the ▁Tal ib an ▁restrictions ▁on ▁female ▁employ ment ▁elimin ated ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁remaining ▁cent ers ▁in ▁areas ▁under ▁their ▁control . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁there ▁were ▁about ▁ 2 6 0 ▁kind erg arten / pre - school ▁cent ers ▁serving ▁over ▁ 2 5 , 0 0 0 ▁children . ▁Though ▁every ▁government ▁center ▁is ▁required ▁to ▁have ▁an ▁early ▁child hood ▁center , ▁at ▁present , ▁no ▁government al ▁policies ▁deal ▁with ▁early