Addis Ababa, June 2026 – The African Center for Early Childhood Development (AfC-ECD), in partnership with the Addis Ababa Bureau of Women, Children and Social Affairs (BoWCSA), has successfully completed a city-wide cascading training program for daycare and childcare providers under the “Children: The Future Hope of Addis Ababa (FHoA) Early Childhood Development Initiative.”

Conducted in two rounds from June 2–5 and June 8–11, 2026, the training reached 961 daycare workers from all 11 sub-cities of Addis Ababa, achieving 96 percent of the planned target of 1,000 participants. The training was delivered through a cascade approach by 55 trained facilitators across four TVET institutions: Mesrak Polytechnic College, General Winget Polytechnic College, Nefas Silk Polytechnic College, and Teferi Mekonen Polytechnic College.
The initiative was designed to strengthen the quality of childcare services across the city by enhancing the knowledge and practical skills of daycare providers in child development, responsive caregiving, early learning, child protection, health, nutrition, hygiene, safety, and inclusive childcare practices. Through interactive methodologies including role plays, case studies, practical demonstrations, and peer learning, participants gained competencies needed to provide safe, nurturing, and developmentally appropriate care for children aged 0–4 years.

The training forms part of Addis Ababa’s broader commitment to ensuring every child has access to quality early childhood development services and supports the city’s vision of becoming Africa’s leading child-friendly city. The program responds to the growing demand for qualified childcare providers as daycare services continue to expand across the capital.
The initiative also received strong political and technical support from senior government and ECD leaders. During a high-level monitoring visit at Mesrak Polytechnic College on June 3, 2026, Dr. Kebede Worku, Chief Executive Officer of AfC-ECD, emphasized that investing in children’s holistic development is essential for building a productive and resilient future generation. Ms. Konjit Debela, Head of BoWCSA, highlighted the city administration’s commitment to expanding quality childcare services, noting their importance in supporting working families while promoting children’s wellbeing and development.

Participants described the training as transformative, reporting increased confidence in supporting children through positive interaction, play-based learning, child protection, and responsive caregiving approaches. Many noted that the practical nature of the sessions enabled them to immediately apply new knowledge in their daily work with children and families.
The successful completion of the training marks a significant milestone in strengthening Addis Ababa’s childcare workforce and improving the quality of daycare services. AfC-ECD and BoWCSA plan to build on these achievements through continued mentoring, supportive supervision, refresher training, and the development of long-term professional development pathways for childcare providers.
By investing in the capacity of daycare workers, Addis Ababa continues to advance its commitment to ensuring that every child receives the care, protection, and early learning opportunities needed to thrive and reach their full potential. Overall, the program demonstrated strong engagement and commitment from daycare providers throughout the city.

Addis Ababa Strengthens Daycare Workforce Through Large-Scale Childcare Training Initiative
Addis Ababa, June 2026 – The African Center for Early Childhood Development (AfC-ECD), in partnership with the Addis Ababa Bureau of Women, Children and Social Affairs (BoWCSA), has successfully completed a city-wide cascading training program for daycare and childcare providers under the “Children: The Future Hope of Addis Ababa (FHoA) Early Childhood Development Initiative.”

Conducted in two rounds from June 2–5 and June 8–11, 2026, the training reached 961 daycare workers from all 11 sub-cities of Addis Ababa, achieving 96 percent of the planned target of 1,000 participants. The training was delivered through a cascade approach by 55 trained facilitators across four TVET institutions: Mesrak Polytechnic College, General Winget Polytechnic College, Nefas Silk Polytechnic College, and Teferi Mekonen Polytechnic College.
The initiative was designed to strengthen the quality of childcare services across the city by enhancing the knowledge and practical skills of daycare providers in child development, responsive caregiving, early learning, child protection, health, nutrition, hygiene, safety, and inclusive childcare practices. Through interactive methodologies including role plays, case studies, practical demonstrations, and peer learning, participants gained competencies needed to provide safe, nurturing, and developmentally appropriate care for children aged 0–4 years.

The training forms part of Addis Ababa’s broader commitment to ensuring every child has access to quality early childhood development services and supports the city’s vision of becoming Africa’s leading child-friendly city. The program responds to the growing demand for qualified childcare providers as daycare services continue to expand across the capital.
The initiative also received strong political and technical support from senior government and ECD leaders. During a high-level monitoring visit at Mesrak Polytechnic College on June 3, 2026, Dr. Kebede Worku, Chief Executive Officer of AfC-ECD, emphasized that investing in children’s holistic development is essential for building a productive and resilient future generation. Ms. Konjit Debela, Head of BoWCSA, highlighted the city administration’s commitment to expanding quality childcare services, noting their importance in supporting working families while promoting children’s wellbeing and development.

Participants described the training as transformative, reporting increased confidence in supporting children through positive interaction, play-based learning, child protection, and responsive caregiving approaches. Many noted that the practical nature of the sessions enabled them to immediately apply new knowledge in their daily work with children and families.
The successful completion of the training marks a significant milestone in strengthening Addis Ababa’s childcare workforce and improving the quality of daycare services. AfC-ECD and BoWCSA plan to build on these achievements through continued mentoring, supportive supervision, refresher training, and the development of long-term professional development pathways for childcare providers.
By investing in the capacity of daycare workers, Addis Ababa continues to advance its commitment to ensuring that every child receives the care, protection, and early learning opportunities needed to thrive and reach their full potential. Overall, the program demonstrated strong engagement and commitment from daycare providers throughout the city.

Addis Ababa Strengthens Daycare Workforce Through Large-Scale Childcare Training Initiative
Addis Ababa, June 2026 – The African Center for Early Childhood Development (AfC-ECD), in partnership with the Addis Ababa Bureau of Women, Children and Social Affairs (BoWCSA), has successfully completed a city-wide cascading training program for daycare and childcare providers under the “Children: The Future Hope of Addis Ababa (FHoA) Early Childhood Development Initiative.”

Conducted in two rounds from June 2–5 and June 8–11, 2026, the training reached 961 daycare workers from all 11 sub-cities of Addis Ababa, achieving 96 percent of the planned target of 1,000 participants. The training was delivered through a cascade approach by 55 trained facilitators across four TVET institutions: Mesrak Polytechnic College, General Winget Polytechnic College, Nefas Silk Polytechnic College, and Teferi Mekonen Polytechnic College.
The initiative was designed to strengthen the quality of childcare services across the city by enhancing the knowledge and practical skills of daycare providers in child development, responsive caregiving, early learning, child protection, health, nutrition, hygiene, safety, and inclusive childcare practices. Through interactive methodologies including role plays, case studies, practical demonstrations, and peer learning, participants gained competencies needed to provide safe, nurturing, and developmentally appropriate care for children aged 0–4 years.

The training forms part of Addis Ababa’s broader commitment to ensuring every child has access to quality early childhood development services and supports the city’s vision of becoming Africa’s leading child-friendly city. The program responds to the growing demand for qualified childcare providers as daycare services continue to expand across the capital.
The initiative also received strong political and technical support from senior government and ECD leaders. During a high-level monitoring visit at Mesrak Polytechnic College on June 3, 2026, Dr. Kebede Worku, Chief Executive Officer of AfC-ECD, emphasized that investing in children’s holistic development is essential for building a productive and resilient future generation. Ms. Konjit Debela, Head of BoWCSA, highlighted the city administration’s commitment to expanding quality childcare services, noting their importance in supporting working families while promoting children’s wellbeing and development.

Participants described the training as transformative, reporting increased confidence in supporting children through positive interaction, play-based learning, child protection, and responsive caregiving approaches. Many noted that the practical nature of the sessions enabled them to immediately apply new knowledge in their daily work with children and families.
The successful completion of the training marks a significant milestone in strengthening Addis Ababa’s childcare workforce and improving the quality of daycare services. AfC-ECD and BoWCSA plan to build on these achievements through continued mentoring, supportive supervision, refresher training, and the development of long-term professional development pathways for childcare providers.
By investing in the capacity of daycare workers, Addis Ababa continues to advance its commitment to ensuring that every child receives the care, protection, and early learning opportunities needed to thrive and reach their full potential. Overall, the program demonstrated strong engagement and commitment from daycare providers throughout the city.

The African Center for Early Childhood Development (AfC-ECD), in partnership with the Addis Ababa Bureau of Women, Children and Social Affairs (BoWCSA), has successfully completed a city-wide cascading training program for daycare and childcare providers under the “Children: The Future Hope of Addis Ababa (FHoA) Early Childhood Development Initiative.”
Conducted in two rounds from June 2–5 and June 8–11, 2026, the training reached 961 daycare workers from all 11 sub-cities of Addis Ababa, achieving 96 percent of the planned target of 1,000 participants. The training was delivered through a cascade approach by 55 trained facilitators across four TVET institutions: Mesrak Polytechnic College, General Winget Polytechnic College, Nefas Silk Polytechnic College, and Teferi Mekonen Polytechnic College.
The initiative was designed to strengthen the quality of childcare services across the city by enhancing the knowledge and practical skills of daycare providers in child development, responsive caregiving, early learning, child protection, health, nutrition, hygiene, safety, and inclusive childcare practices. Through interactive methodologies including role plays, case studies, practical demonstrations, and peer learning, participants gained competencies needed to provide safe, nurturing, and developmentally appropriate care for children aged 0–4 years.
The training forms part of Addis Ababa’s broader commitment to ensuring every child has access to quality early childhood development services and supports the city’s vision of becoming Africa’s leading child-friendly city. The program responds to the growing demand for qualified childcare providers as daycare services continue to expand across the capital.
The initiative also received strong political and technical support from senior government and ECD leaders. During a high-level monitoring visit at Mesrak Polytechnic College on June 3, 2026, Dr. Kebede Worku, Chief Executive Officer of AfC-ECD, emphasized that investing in children’s holistic development is essential for building a productive and resilient future generation. Ms. Konjit Debela, Head of BoWCSA, highlighted the city administration’s commitment to expanding quality childcare services, noting their importance in supporting working families while promoting children’s wellbeing and development.
Participants described the training as transformative, reporting increased confidence in supporting children through positive interaction, play-based learning, child protection, and responsive caregiving approaches. Many noted that the practical nature of the sessions enabled them to immediately apply new knowledge in their daily work with children and families.
The successful completion of the training marks a significant milestone in strengthening Addis Ababa’s childcare workforce and improving the quality of daycare services. AfC-ECD and BoWCSA plan to build on these achievements through continued mentoring, supportive supervision, refresher training, and the development of long-term professional development pathways for childcare providers.
By investing in the capacity of daycare workers, Addis Ababa continues to advance its commitment to ensuring that every child receives the care, protection, and early learning opportunities needed to thrive and reach their full potential. Overall, the program demonstrated strong engagement and commitment from daycare providers throughout the city.