Africa Childcare Forum 2026

Across Africa, millions of children and their caregivers—particularly those in informal settlements, rural areas, humanitarian settings, and low-income households—continue to lack access to affordable, quality, and culturally appropriate childcare services. The vast majority of care work remains unpaid, informal, and invisible, with an estimated 92% of African families relying on unregulated home-based or kinship care arrangements. This gap disproportionately affects women, who shoulder the greatest burden of unpaid care, often at the expense of their economic participation, educational advancement, and wellbeing.

Despite growing recognition of childcare as a key driver of women's economic empowerment, child development, and national productivity, investment in sustainable childcare systems across the continent remains limited, inconsistent, and fragmented across sectors. Many governments lack dedicated childcare policies or funding frameworks, and coordination among stakeholders—across gender, labor, education, health, and urban planning—is often weak or siloed. As a result, childcare remains a blind spot in both national development plans and regional economic integration strategies.

In response to this urgent gap, the Collaborative Action for Childcare, launched the Africa Childcare Forum (ACF) series in Kigali in May 2025, bringing together diverse actors from 16 African countries. The Kigali convening laid a foundational step in amplifying the voices of grassroots caregivers, social enterprises, feminist leaders, and local policymakers—and in anchoring childcare as a cross-cutting enabler of Africa's development aspirations, including Agenda 2063, the African Union's CESA 16-25, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

ACFMombasa2026 builds on this momentum as a strategic continuation of the movement for childcare justice and equity. It is a bold, collective effort to:

• Shift power and visibility to local actors and lived experiences;
• Drive policy reforms that prioritize inclusive, gender-responsive childcare systems;
• Promote African-led innovations that reflect diverse cultural and socioeconomic realities;
• Strengthen accountability for translating global commitments into national and sub-national action.

The Forum is not just a meeting—it is part of a growing continental movement to reimagine care, reclaim African narratives, and position childcare as a public good and social infrastructure critical to Africa's inclusive, resilient future.