Exploring Professional Identity and Systemic Barriers in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) in Centre-Based Daycare Settings in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Using qualitative methods, caregivers’ professional identity and barriers to effective early childhood care and education (ECCE) in centre-based daycare settings serving children under three years old in Ethiopia, were explored. Using interviews, group discussions, and observations with ten caregivers, five parents, and three ECCE administrators from five centre-based daycare settings in Bole, Kirkos, and Nifas Silk-Lafto sub-cities in Addis Ababa, the study found that children were portrayed as passive who receive little involvement from caregivers (substituting Parents). Systemic barriers (lack of regulatory systems, limited training, poor physical environments, and high adult-to-child ratios 1:8–11) constrained caregivers, all female and largely untrained which prioritized physical and emotional care, to the neglect of cognitive stimulation. Interpreted through the Bioecological Model of Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological Model (2005) and Super and Harkness’s Developmental Niche (1997), these results showed a mismatch with Ethiopia’s National Policy Framework for ECCE (2010, revised in 2023; Education Sector Development Plan (ESDP-6, 2021–2025) which focus on holistic development and equitable accessibility. The study emphasized the importance of caregiver professionalization through improved training and policy reform for codifying regulations in ECCE-specific regulations as practices aligned with global standards and national goals. These results suggest that effective changes in the quality of ECCE in Ethiopian centre-based daycare settings depend on systemic solutions.