Nawirisha Community-led Childcare Policy Advocacy Initiative

The 'Community-led Childcare Policy Advocacy' is an initiative by Nawirisha co-designed and implemented with women informal childcare providers and community leaders in the informal settlements of Nairobi, starting with Mathare and Ruaraka. The initiative entails community-led mobilization and organizing to transform quality of childcare services by defining, designing, and implementing 'Community-led Childcare Guidelines.' The emerging Mama-Care movement of childcare providers and community leaders (Nyumba Kumi),l advocates for improved childcare practices, as well as increased support by local government authorities (Chiefs) and allocation of resources to the informal childcare system.

Having began in 2023 with funding from the African Early Childhood Network (AfECN), the initiative has organized over 100 women informal childcare providers in Mathare and Ruaraka constituencies, and collaborated with them and local government leaders (Chiefs, Children Services, and Nyumba Kumi) to co-design and implement a framework for 'Community-led Childcare Guidelines' and Childcare tools such as Daycare Attendance Books, Daycare Admission Forms, and Daily Child Report Books, which have helped enhance children's safety through record-keeping, as well as improve quality of childcare services in the informal facilities.

Now entering its 3rd phase, the initiative is pivoting towards responsive care training for caregivers to improve childcare practice and enhance social support for caregivers through the Mama kwa Mama Support Groups. Responsive care, like sound childcare record keeping, is a key requirement of the 'Community-led Childcare Guidelines.' Co-designed with the generous technical support of Prof. Miriam Steele's team at the New School for Social Research (Parson's School of Design) and live input from our caregivers, the program aims at strengthening the informal child caregivers as 'Secure Attachment Figures' for children in their childcare facilities, since these children spend most of their early years with the caregivers. In addition, the program aims at building caregiver confidence for authentic responsive care practices rooted in the children's culture, besides providing a support system to enhance caregiver mental health and well-being, thereby bolstering their capacity to provide responsive care.