Early Childhood Care and Development in Rural and Urban Settings in Kenya

Abstract

The Early Childhood Development (ECD) research sub-unit under the Maternal and Child Wellbeing Research Unit at the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) seeks to optimize the health and wellbeing of children under the age of three while increasing opportunities for early learning. The Caring Practices and Support for Early Childhood Development (CAPS - ECD), Community of Practice (CoP) and the Nairobi Early Childcare in Slums (NECS) projects, all funded by the British Academy, sought to evaluate the state of paid and unpaid childcare provision among semi-nomadic communities of Kajiado County and urban informal settlements in Nairobi. The three studies were conducted in collaboration with Loughborough University, the University of York and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. This briefing paper presents findings from the studies undertaken.