Building Futures through Childcare: Insights from the Early Child Care and Education Workshop

Investing in childcare is not just about supporting parents – it is about transforming societies. This was the central message at the workshop, hosted at Norad and organised by the Jobs Network in collaboration with Partnership for Change (PfC) bringing  together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to discuss childcare services in low and lower-middle income countries.  

Across Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda, the speakers presented evidence showing that childcare interventions – when thoughtfully designed and locally embedded – can serve as powerful drivers of social and economic change. It unlocks women’s labour force participation and boosts early learning, childhood development and human capital, all of which taken together, can stimulate inclusive economic growth and poverty reduction. From PfC’s community-based and employer-led childcare models in Ethiopia, to social franchising efforts in Kenya’s informal settlements, and experimental evidence from Uganda on the links between childcare, labour supply, and business outcomes, a common thread emerged: sustainable childcare systems can have a positive impact on local economies and increase gender equality.

In Ethiopia, Birikit Terefe highlighted how the country has elevated childcare from an informal service to a recognised sector within national policy, supported by standards, certification, and women-led enterprises. In Kenya, research presented by Maira Emy Reimão (Villanova University) showed that a light-touch franchising model – combining mentoring, quality standards, and modest financial support – significantly improved the safety and developmental environment in daycare centres. In Uganda, Vincent Somville from the Norwegian School of Economics and his co-authors found that access to childcare measurably raised household incomes and children’s development scores, with particularly strong effects for single mothers, while underscoring the need to consider intra-household dynamics when designing policy.

Panel and plenary discussions underscored the importance of bridging research and implementation. The conversations moved beyond impact estimates to questions of scale, financing, and government ownership. How can national systems adopt proven community models? What funding mechanisms can sustain quality care without excluding low-income families? And how can childcare be understood not only as a labour market intervention, but as an integral part of education policy?

By the end of the workshop, one insight resonated clearly: early childhood care and education is not a peripheral issue – it lies at the heart of equitable growth and human development. Integrating childcare into public policy can enable millions of women to work, improve children’s life chances, and build more inclusive economies.

See the full program here.