Fifty-two professionals from all sub-cities and woredas of Addis Ababa attended a three-day training from 19-21 August,2026 as data collectors and supervisors for AfC-ECD’s research project on the assessment of early childhood development services in the city. The project aims to assess the availability, readiness, quality, integration, and inclusivity of pre-primary education, child daycare centers, parental coaching, health integration, and play space services.
The training was jointly organized by the African Center for Early Childhood Development (AfC-ECD) and the Addis Ababa Bureau of Women, Children and Social Affairs. It was officially opened by W/ro Selam Ewnetu, Team Leader of the Child Daycare Center at the Addis Ababa City Administration Women, Children and Social Affairs Bureau, who highlighted the importance of the assessment and the role of the participants for its success. The training brought together both female and male participants and focused on building the practical knowledge and skills needed to collect reliable and inclusive data on child daycare centers and playground services of the city.
Participants were introduced to the assessment tools and had the opportunity to practice using them throughout the training. The sessions covered the introduction of the tools, practical exercises, KoboToolbox practice, and hands-on exercises related to both child daycare centers and play space services. Beyond learning the tools, the training created space for participants to ask questions, share experiences, and develop a common understanding of how the assessment should be carried out. This practical approach will help ensure that the data collected reflects the actual situation of ECD services across Addis Ababa.
The training concluded with closing remarks from the Director of the child daycare center, Hiwot Dereje, from the Bureau of Women, Children and Social Affairs, who appreciated the participants’ active engagement and emphasized the importance of quality data in strengthening ECD services. The assessment is an important step toward generating evidence that can inform planning, decision-making, and improvements in daycare and play space services across Addis Ababa.
At the heart of this assessment lies AfC-ECD’s commitment to turning evidence into action, strengthening early childhood development, and helping create better opportunities for every child to grow, learn, and thrive.