As the Addis Abeba City Administration takes a leap to early childhood development programs, upcoming real estate and condominium houses are compelled to include daycares in their design while the existing ones are required to make room for accommodation.

The project early childhood development program which makes childcare institutions around home areas mandatory is closely monitored by the Mayor's Office Strategic Programs Bureau officials partnering with the city Women Children & Social Affairs, Public Service, Finance, Transport and Culture Arts & Tourism bureaus.

Although he did not disclose the amount, a significant financial investment was put forth to map out the program, according to Eshetayehu Kinfu (PhD), head of the strategic programs bureau at the Mayor's Office.

Meanwhile, the Women Children & Social Affairs Bureau took on the task of pushing up to 1,000 public offices to preserve room for childcare services.

For two years Eshetayehu and his team tried to identify the specific areas that should be addressed for the overall development of children under the age of six, will hold meetings at condominium sites with hopes to garner constructive feedback from residents.

"The plan is to make childcare accessible at a reasonable price," he told Fortune.

Over 600 condominium sites with residents that were relocated for development projects foresee daycare centres and playgrounds with the regulations getting the green light from the City Cabinet in mid-March. The City Administration built a daycare at the Ayat 49 condominium site and handed it over to the community in June as a pilot program.

The Addis Abeba Food Medicine & Health Care Administration & Control Authority previously used to inspect close to 130 licensed daycare centres four times a year through its Wereda branches. However, with the new restructuring that shut down several branches, the checkup duration was cut by half and transferred to the central office.

According to Getachew Abebe, head of the licensing directorate, although the requirements are compounded to educational background and facility equipment, the inspection serves the best interest of the children and keeps them from being exposed to actual harm.

Sebelework Assefa is one of the administrative staff at the Mekanisa condominium site which houses 660 residents. She is ecstatic about the plan to begin a daycare facility with hopes that it will allow mothers to be able to go back to work.