Ghana has no equivalent of a state daycare voucher. Childcare is arranged privately, and for most families it is some combination of a creche, a nanny, and grandmother.
The options
Family. Still the default across much of Ghana, and not a lesser option — grandparents and aunts are often deeply involved in raising small children. If you have family in Accra, this is the arrangement most people assume you will use.
A creche or daycare centre. Private, common in Accra, taking children from a few months old. Many are attached to a private school and feed into its KG.
A nanny (house help). Live-in or live-out, very common. Costs roughly ₵800 to ₵2,500 a month depending on experience, hours and whether they live in. — Hiring help at home
A workplace creche. A few larger employers and international organisations run them. Ask.
Choosing a creche
Fees vary enormously and tell you very little. What matters:
- Registration. Creches should be registered with the Department of Social Welfare and, where attached to a school, with the Ghana Education Service. Ask to see it.
- The adult-to-child ratio, by age group. For babies it should be low. Count the staff and count the children yourself.
- Staff turnover. Small children attach to people. High turnover is the clearest warning sign.
- Are staff trained in first aid? Ask who, and when they last certified.
- The building. Shade, ventilation, clean water, working fans, secure gate, nothing a toddler can climb or fall from.
- Sleeping arrangements, and whether mosquito protection is in place for daytime naps. — Malaria
- Food. Who cooks, where, and what. Ask to see the kitchen.
- The sick-child policy, and what happens in an emergency. Which hospital, and who takes the child there?
- Drop-off and collection, and who is authorised to collect.
- Hours, including what happens if Accra traffic makes you late, and what that costs.
Visit unannounced
Book one visit, then turn up a second time without warning, mid-morning. What you see the second time is what your child gets every day. Any decent centre will not mind.
What it costs
Creche fees in Accra span a very wide range, from modest neighbourhood operations to centres charging what a private school charges. Expect to pay a term or a month in advance, plus a registration fee.
Ask for the full schedule in writing: fees, registration, meals, nappies, excursions, and what happens over the long vacation.
Immunisation and health
Ghana’s child immunisation programme is one of the strongest in the region and is delivered free at public health facilities and Child Welfare Clinics.
Bring your child’s records with you if you are arriving from abroad; a clinic will map them onto the Ghanaian schedule. If records are lost, clinics will advise on restarting.
Keep the health record book safe. Every school, creche and clinic will ask for it.
Having a baby in Accra Hospitals and clinics
Registering a birth
Births should be registered with the Births and Deaths Registry within twelve months. A birth certificate is required for school admission, a passport, and eventually a Ghana Card — so it is not paperwork to postpone.
Registration at the hospital where the child is born is usually the simplest route. Ask before you are discharged.