How Far Do Kenyan National Policies and County Plans Go in Promoting Nurturing Care During the Early Years?

Authors: Margaret Nampijja, Kenneth Okelo, Patricia Kitsao-Wekulo, Ivy Chumo, Ruth Muendo, Linda Oloo, Elizabeth Mwaniki, Maurice Mutisya, Emma Haycraft, Paula Griffiths, Robert Hughes, Mary Abboah Offei, Helen Elsey, George Evans Owino, Maryann Wanjau, Institutional Affiliation: African Population and Health Research Center, Loughborough University, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of York, AfECN, Kidogo Innovations Ensuring that policies are aligned with the Nurturing Care Framework (NCF) and that plans are in place to operationalize them is key to driving improvements to promote optimal child development. This is particularly important as the demand for childcare grows due to the changing lives of urban Kenyans. We conducted a detailed review of Kenya’s national plans and county integrated development plans (CIDPs). We searched government websites and various networks and retrieved 19 or national policies (2010 onwards) and CIDPs (2018-2022) from the 47 counties. CIDPs and policies were coded according to the NCF domains and subdomains. Coded data was synthesized to identify coverage and gaps in policies and plans. Health and nutrition domains of the NCF, particularly water and sanitation, were well covered in national policies. There was provision for 33,919 public and private early childhood development and education (ECDE) centres across CIDPs. However, the focus was on 4-5-year-olds, with limited mention of children 3 years and below. Some areas – such as support for children with disabilities – were well covered in national policies but not backed up with plans and budgets in CIDPs. The involvement of fathers was a notable omission at both national and county levels. Policy and planning for children three years and below needs to be prioritized, particularly in urban areas with high demand for centre-based care.