Status of Childcare in Uganda

According to UNICEF and Countdown to 2030, Uganda has a population of 47.2 million. Approximately 1.7 million infants are born every year, contributing to a significant number of children under the age of 5—totaling 7.9 million or close to 17 percent of the total population. This demographic reality underscores the critical importance of childcare in Uganda’s societal development.

As per the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, Uganda’s midyear population projection for 2023 was 45.5 million. Specifically, young children in the age range of 0 to 5 years make up 70 percent of Uganda’s child population.

In terms of where children reside (urban versus rural), the Uganda National Household Survey 2019/2020 and the Uganda Bureau of Statistics midyear population projection for the same period estimates that roughly three-quarters (9.3 million) of Ugandans aged 0 to 8 live in rural areas while the remaining quarter (almost 3 million) resides in urban areas. Given that the largest proportion of the country’s children reside in rural areas, it is therefore crucial for the government and development partners to strategically target childcare interventions in rural areas to ensure increased access to quality childcare services.

Also, it is important to note that Uganda hosts approximately 1.5 million refugees (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees 2023–2025 Strategy for Uganda), the highest refugee-hosting country in Africa. Children constitute 57 percent of the refugee population, with 40 percent of them under 12 years of age. With a notable percentage of young children, there is a pressing need to address their specific needs and challenges, especially regarding health, education, and protection for children.

Early Childhood Development Landscape

Most childcare services in Uganda are home based. However, there is also a growing cohort of early childhood development play groups and day care centers that are mainly managed in private settings. The provision of early childhood care and education has been significantly improved by the implementation of the country’s Universal Primary Education policy. The Government of Uganda provides universal primary education starting from primary one. For most children, it is from 5 to 6 years. However, gaps persist in the provision of preprimary education, largely offered by private actors. According to UNICEF, around 4 out of 10 young children aged 3 to 5 years attend early childhood education, an improvement from 2011 that saw 2 out of 10 children enrolled. However, even among those who do attend, discrepancies still exist in terms of the quality and standard of the early learning provided.

Legal and Policy Framework

Uganda’s childcare legal and policy framework incorporates and aligns with regional and global conventions and treaties. These include the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the International Labour Organization Conventions, and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.

The 1995 Constitution outlines children’s rights comprehensively in Article 34 (provisions 1–7), and the Children (Amendment) Act of 2016 emphasizes the protection of the child by upholding their rights, duties, and responsibilities. The Education Act of 2008 identifies preprimary education as the first level of education in Uganda and provides for free and compulsory primary education for all children. The Persons with Disabilities Act of 2020 provides for the respect and promotion of the fundamental and other human rights and freedoms of persons with disabilities, including children.

Health-related laws, such as the Public Health (Amendment) Act of 2022, mandate all children to be immunized and schools to admit children when they present immunization cards. The current Employment (Amendment) Bill of 2022 passed by parliament makes provisions for the establishment and inspection of childcare and breastfeeding facilities at workplaces. Upon the president’s approval, it will greatly improve access to care and protection for children aged 6 to 36 months, providing valuable support to working parents.

Child welfare is also a key priority under the first objective of the Human Capital Development Programme. Priority interventions include institutionalizing training for early childhood development caregivers at public primary teacher training colleges and enforcing a regulatory and quality assurance system.

Several policies have been instituted to guide the delivery of childcare services in Uganda across different ministries:

In 2016, the Government of Uganda adopted the Integrated Early Childhood Development Policy Action Plan as a key strategy to provide the “best start in life” to every child and achieve sustainable and equitable growth and prosperity as a nation. The Ministry of Gender, Labour, and Social Development currently coordinates the implementation of the National Integrated Early Childhood Development Policy in collaboration with other ministries, development partners, and civil society organizations.

Policy Areas Impacting Early Childhood Care and Development

The key challenge in childcare in Uganda is ensuring sustainable government funding to expand access to quality childcare services, particularly given the high percentage of children not accessing preprimary education. As per current statistics, six out of every ten children miss out on early learning and mental stimulation due to financial constraints. The government needs to urgently conduct a review of the universal primary education policy to address the gaps and increase access to early learning and care for young children.

Childcare and Women Economic Empowerment

In Uganda, as in most countries, childcare and women’s economic empowerment are closely intertwined. The Ugandan government has implemented initiatives to promote women’s economic empowerment through community childcare centers, social protection programs, and policies aimed at fostering gender equality in the workforce. However, the full potential of these efforts has yet to be realized.

Childcare responsibilities can impact women’s opportunities for education and workforce participation. Improving access to childcare can enhance women’s ability to pursue education and training, thereby increasing their potential for higher-paying work opportunities.

Furthermore, access to affordable and reliable childcare can significantly boost women’s economic independence by enabling them to engage in income-generating activities. When women can work, they contribute to household income, which can improve the overall economic status of the family. This leads to increased financial autonomy and decision-making power within households.

Childcare Policy Priorities

There remains uneven progress in childcare service delivery and access across the country. Factors such as income, disability, rural residence, and parental incarceration significantly impact access to high-quality childcare services. These areas require targeted interventions or the strengthening of existing efforts to address these challenges. Additionally, in Uganda, childcare services are heavily reliant on donor contributions, making services vulnerable to changes in donor priorities or delays in disbursement.

Policy Priorities

To strengthen childcare for children and families, the government should focus on the following areas:

Increasing funding for childcare coordination, policy implementation, and service delivery.
Exploring alternative financing mechanisms, such as results-based financing and public-private partnerships, to increase access to childcare services.
Developing and enforcing national guidelines and standards for the establishment and management of childcare facilities for children under 3 years.
Building a quality assurance mechanism for childcare services in places of incarceration and alternative care.

Conclusion

Childcare plays a critical role in preparing children for success throughout their lives while supporting women’s economic empowerment. However, challenges persist in Uganda, including gaps in policy, financing, and operational frameworks needed to strengthen childcare services. Additionally, cultural and societal norms continue to influence the delivery and quality of these services. Addressing these issues requires the active involvement of key stakeholders to foster multisectoral collaborations to improve and expand access to quality childcare across the country.