Title: Childcare, Time Poverty, and School Engagement among Single Parents in Metropolitan Areas in Uganda
Authors: Kukundakwe Rebecca, Asingwire Richard, Mugisa James, Kisembo John, Anumaka Ijeoma, Businge Janice
Volume: 9
Issue: 9
Pages: 36-37
Publication Date: 2025/09/28
Abstract:
Single-parent families in metropolitan areas face intersecting barriers to supporting children's schooling, with childcare deficits and time poverty being among the most pressing. Urban labor markets demand nonstandard, unpredictable schedules, while childcare remains unaffordable or inaccessible. This review synthesizes literature from 2010-2025 on the relationship between childcare availability, parental time poverty, and school engagement of children in single-parent households. Guided by Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory and the Capability Approach, it highlights how systemic constraints reduce parents' ability to participate in school activities, monitor learning, and provide educational support. Findings demonstrate consistent links between childcare scarcity, parental stress, and reduced student engagement. Integrated interventions-affordable childcare, school-based aftercare, and employer flexibility-emerge as the most promising solutions.