You have likely heard the saying “it takes a village to raise a child” before. Although its exact origins are unknown, it is often ascribed to an African proverb because it embodies the collective spirit of many African cultures.

In simple terms, the saying suggests it takes many people — parents, teachers, extended family, siblings, neighbours, policymakers, community members — to provide a safe, healthy and nurturing environment for children to grow and develop.

This can look like babysitting or otherwise directly caring for children, but can also take indirect forms such as meal trains (an organized community effort to take turns cooking and delivering meals) for the parents of a newborn or parental leave policies.

Nonetheless, in a world where people feel increasingly disconnected from one another, parents are less likely to live close to extended family, may not know their neighbours and do not always feel represented or understood by their policymakers, what does this village look like and what is its role in supporting children and their families?

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Working with local researchers in Ghana, Mozambique and the United States, I’ve tried to answer this question through qualitative interviews and focus group discussions with parents, extended family members, teachers, health professionals, community members and policymakers involved in caring for young children (ages six months to five years).

Ghana, Mozambique research

In southern coastal Ghana, we interviewed more than 80 mothers, fathers, extended family and community members in semi-rural communities to understand how young children were cared for and how parents cared for their own mental health.

Parents and........

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