Young Motherhood in Crisis: Multidimensional Childcare Challenges in Accra’s Old Fadama and African Eleven Slums

Abstract Background Young mothers in urban slums face multifaceted challenges in raising their children due to poverty, limited access to basic services, and weak social support systems. However, limited qualitative research in Ghana has specifically examined their lived experiences within their ecological contexts. Objectives This study aimed to address these gaps by exploring the multidimensional challenges young mothers face in raising their children in the Old Fadama and African Eleven slums in Accra, Ghana. Methods A qualitative research design utilising Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was employed to explore the multidimensional challenges faced by young mothers in the Old Fadama and African Eleven slums. In-depth, face-to-face interviews were conducted with young mothers aged 18–35 years (10 from each site). Data was transcribed, coded using NVivo 12 Pro, and analysed using the six-step IPA framework outlined by Smith et al. (2009). Findings The study revealed that young mothers in the Old Fadama and African Eleven slums faced several multidimensional and structural challenges, including role overload, health-seeking barriers, feeding inadequacies, poverty, and limited employment opportunities. However, these young mothers demonstrated considerable resilience through peer networks and adaptive livelihood strategies. Conclusions Young mothers in slums require urgent, integrated interventions addressing poverty, healthcare access, employment, and psychosocial support. Recommendations include National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) awareness campaigns, the establishment of community clinics, targeted livelihood programmes, and gender-responsive policy frameworks that recognise fathers’ roles and mothers’ agency.