Rongo University opens childcare facility to support student parents

The initiative provides a practical response to a challenge facing many student parents in Kenya’s institutions of higher learning: how to attend lectures, complete assignments and prepare for examinations while ensuring their young children receive proper care.

Launched in August 2025 during the university’s World Breastfeeding Week celebrations, the centre offers a designated space where student parents can leave their children under care as they participate in academic activities. The facility also supports breastfeeding mothers by providing an environment where they can attend to their babies while continuing with their studies.

The launch brought together Public Health Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni, Migori Governor Dr Ochilo Ayacko, University Council Chairperson Dr Catherine Wangeci, university officials and development partners.

ChildFund and the Lake Region Development Programme supported the initiative, demonstrating how partnerships between educational institutions and development organisations can help address barriers that affect access to and completion of higher education.

For students raising young children, access to affordable and reliable childcare can determine whether they attend classes consistently or fall behind academically.

Some depend on relatives, pay for caregivers or miss lectures when alternative arrangements fail. Others face the difficult choice of attending to their children or meeting academic deadlines, a situation that can affect their performance, prolong their studies and increase the risk of dropping out.

The burden can be particularly demanding for breastfeeding mothers, who require opportunities to feed their babies while maintaining their academic schedules. However, fathers and other student caregivers also face childcare responsibilities that can interfere with their studies.

By establishing the centre, Rongo University is seeking to create a more inclusive learning environment in which parenthood does not automatically become an obstacle to educational advancement.

The initiative also broadens the discussion about student welfare beyond accommodation, tuition, meals and financial assistance to include the family responsibilities that shape students’ ability to learn and graduate.

Rongo University’s initiative raises an important question for Kenya’s higher education sector: how can universities accommodate students whose responsibilities extend beyond the lecture hall?

As more students combine education with parenting and other family obligations, childcare services could become an important component of student support. Similar facilities in other universities could help reduce absenteeism, improve participation in academic activities and give student parents greater confidence to complete their courses.

However, establishing a childcare centre is only the first step. Its effectiveness will depend on sustained funding, qualified caregivers, appropriate health and safety measures, adequate supplies and child-friendly equipment.

The facility will also require essentials such as bedding, toys and suitable spaces for rest, feeding and play. Proper supervision and clear procedures for safeguarding children would be vital to maintaining a safe environment.

Long-term partnerships and institutional funding will therefore be important to ensure the centre remains operational and responsive to the needs of student parents.

Rongo University’s experience offers a broader lesson for education policymakers and university administrators: supporting students requires recognising the circumstances that influence their academic progress outside the classroom.

While universities are primarily responsible for teaching, research and professional development, student welfare measures can help remove practical barriers that prevent learners from benefiting fully from their education.

For young parents, access to childcare can mean the difference between missing a lecture and attending class, postponing graduation and completing a degree, or abandoning their studies and pursuing their ambitions.

Expanding such services across higher education institutions could help make universities more responsive to the needs of students balancing academic aspirations with family responsibilities.

Ultimately, the success of the initiative will depend not only on opening the facility but also on sustaining its services and ensuring that student parents can access reliable, affordable and safe childcare throughout their studies.