Egypt's Sisi orders unified social protection program, expansion of early childhood infrastructure

CAIRO - 23 June 2026: Egypt must establish a single, unified social protection program to maximize the efficiency of state social spending and shield vulnerable populations from multi-dimensional poverty, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi ordered in a Tuesday state briefing.

Sisi met with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Minister of Solidarity Maya Morsi to evaluate the governance and modernization of the national subsidy framework.

During the meeting, Morsi presented the upcoming National Social Protection Framework, which aims to balance social justice with long-term economic sustainability.

Sisi directed officials to maintain strict oversight of the Takaful and Karama cash-transfer program—which currently supports 4.7 million families—demanding a comprehensive annual report to measure its direct socio-economic impact and economic empowerment rates.

To streamline welfare distribution, the Ministry of Solidarity is launching a strategic financial empowerment initiative in partnership with the private sector and civil society.

Sisi emphasized that upgrading subsidy tools must protect the rights of most-vulnerable citizens while gradually transitioning dependent families toward economic independence.

Turning to human development, Morsi outlined a comprehensive national plan to dramatically expand early childhood care infrastructure for children aged zero to four.

Backed by a strategic partnership with the Ministry of Housing, the plan aims to build new nurseries in newly developed urban communities, fast-track licensing procedures, and launch a nationwide geographic survey to map nursery shortages.

Sisi ordered the implementation of a comprehensive development roadmap for the nursery sector, alongside the creation of specialized, internationally standardized child counseling and psychosocial support centers.

Further, the minister reviewed the modernization of Egypt's foster care network, highlighting the launch of a new internal electronic database connecting the Higher Committee for Foster Families with local directorates nationwide.

Sisi stressed that the state must guarantee comprehensive psychological and social stability for foster children, ordering relevant authorities to conduct rigorous, periodic field follow-ups to monitor their well-being within host families.