Today marks the second day of the Regional Childcare Conference for Eastern and Southern Africa in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The first session of the day is based on "Policy Options to Expand Access to Childcare and Approaches to Financing". The session will be exploring the essential elements of quality for childcare settings as well as what is needed at the systems level for a robust quality assurance system.
Ms Fran Beaton-Day from the World Bank Group speaks on Investing in Childcare. Today marks the second day of the Regional Childcare Conference for Eastern and Southern Africa in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The morning session focused on “Policy Options to Expand Access to Childcare and Approaches to Financing,” with Ms Fran Beaton-Day of the World Bank Group presenting on investing in childcare. She outlined how countries can expand access through a mix of approaches, including public provision, subsidies to families, and partnerships with non-state providers such as NGOs, communities, and the private sector.
She emphasised that there is no single model for childcare expansion, as approaches depend on context, including available funding, labour market structures, and levels of informality. Her presentation also highlighted financing options such as national budgets, earmarked taxes, and social contributions, stressing the importance of sustained public investment to ensure affordability and equity.
Ms Beaton-Day further noted the importance of targeted subsidies and strong quality assurance systems to ensure that increased access does not compromise standards of care. She concluded that effective childcare systems require a balanced mix of policy options, strong government leadership, and adequate investment to support both access and quality.
#GovZAUpdates #BanaPeleZA #ChildcareZA #QualityLearning #ECD