Two in every three young children in Malawi are growing up without the early learning and play they need at home, raising fears that many could start school already at a disadvantage, a trend that could weaken children’s development and limit their future potential.
About 66 percent of Malawian children aged between three and four years do not receive enough early stimulation at home through activities such as reading, storytelling and playing, a situation the government says could undermine their brain development, school readiness and future productivity.
Minister of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare Mary Navicha disclosed the figures on Thursday when she presented a ministerial statement on Parenting and Early Childhood Development in Parliament.
Navicha said the 2024 Malawi Demographic and Health Survey shows that only 34 percent of children aged between three and four years receive adequate early stimulation at home through responsive caregiving.
She said parents and caregivers are a child’s first teachers, role models and protectors, making the care, guidance and stimulation they provide during the early years critical to children’s cognitive, emotional, social and physical development.
According to the minister, children who grow up in nurturing family environments and receive early stimulation are more likely to perform well in school, enjoy better health and become productive citizens.
“About 34 percent of children aged 3-4 years receive adequate early stimulation at home through responsive caregiving, including activities such as reading, storytelling, listening to children, providing nutritious food and playing with parents or other caregivers,” Navicha told Parliament.
She said many families continue to face challenges in providing quality parenting because of poverty, urbanisation, migration, changing family structures and growing socio-economic pressures.
To improve the situation, Navicha said the government is developing a National Parenting Education and Childcare Strategy aimed at equipping parents, guardians and caregivers with the knowledge and skills needed to raise healthy, protected and well-developed children.
The strategy will integrate parenting education into health facilities, Community-Based Childcare Centres, schools, social protection programmes, parenting groups and other community platforms to ensure wider access to parenting support.
Navicha urged Parliament and all stakeholders to back increased investment in parenting, saying stronger support for families would improve child wellbeing, strengthen educational outcomes and help Malawi build the human capital needed to achieve its long-term development goals.
