Early Childhood Education (ECE) has been globally recognized as the foundation of lifelong learning, with international and national policies underscoring its role in preparing learners for academic, social, and emotional success. In the Philippines, the Kindergarten Education Act of 2012 and subsequent DepEd policies mandate compulsory kindergarten and emphasize developmental appropriateness, including age qualification, as assessed through the Early Childhood Development (ECD) Checklist. However, despite these policies, challenges persist in curriculum alignment, policy enforcement, and teacher Support, raising concerns about learners' socio-emotional readiness. This study aimed to examine the effects of new early childhood policies on the socio-emotional readiness of kindergarten learners in selected public schools in the Division of Rizal during School Year 2025–2026, as measured by the ECD Checklist. Guided by Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory and the Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) framework, the study employed a descriptive, quantitative research design and a researcher-developed, validated questionnaire administered to kindergarten teachers. Data were analyzed to assess teacher demographics, Extent of policy implementation, and learner readiness levels. Results revealed that teachers were generally young, academically qualified, and moderately experienced, with strong implementation of monitoring and classroom routines but weaker consistency in curriculum alignment and in the enforcement of age cut-offs. Kindergarten learners exhibited emerging socio-emotional readiness, showing strengths in self-awareness and relationship skills but requiring further development in self-management and social Awareness. Statistical analyses indicated that teachers' demographic characteristics significantly influenced perceptions of learner readiness and policy implementation, whereas no significant relationship was found between policy implementation and socio-emotional readiness. The study concludes that effective socio-emotional development cannot be achieved through policy compliance alone but requires teacher professional development, standardized implementation, and stronger parent-school collaboration. To address gaps, Project SURE was proposed to standardize practices, enhance teacher training, and integrate child-centered approaches that strengthen socio-emotional readiness and ensure equitable learning outcomes in kindergarten education.