The everyday experiences of early childhood caregivers: Challenges in an under-resourced community

Vorster, Adri; Sacks, Ashleigh; Amod, Zaytoon; Seabi, Joseph; Kern, Anwynne

doi:10.4102/sajce.v6i1.257

Cited by 10 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Some parents do not want to send their children to school earlier than 5-years old because they cannot afford it; they are unemployed and struggle to get food on the table. The These perceptions resonated with the literature reporting that community factors, such as unemployment and financial strains, have a significant impact on child development and school readiness (Ebrahim, Seleti & Dawes 2013;Vorster et al 2016;Ward et al 2015). Young (2015) underscored that financial survival and unemployment remain a primary challenge for caregivers.…”

Section: Theme 1 Community Factorsmentioning

confidence: 72%

“…These findings reiterated the importance of a safe environment and early stimulation for optimal development (Barbarin, Richter & DeWet 2001;Dawes, Donald & Louw 2000;Kumpulainen et al 2016;Mistry et al 2010;Vorster et al 2016).…”

Section: Adverse Experiencesmentioning

confidence: 81%

“…International (Sheridan et al 2010;Webster-Stratton & Taylor 2001;Yoleri 2016) and local (Albino & Berry 2013;Vorster et al 2016;Ward & Makusha 2015) researchers addressed stakeholder perceptions of factors affecting child development and school readiness. Teachers emerged as the stakeholder group that was consulted most frequently.…”

Section: Aimmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…International studies reporting on stakeholder perceptions included teachers (Grady 2016), parents (Hanniffy 2017), theorists and professionals (GEEARS 2017). Local studies reporting on stakeholders' perceptions included teachers, parents and professional perspectives (Foxcroft et al 2004;Goldblatt 2004;Vorster et al 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Contextualising school readiness in South Africa: Stakeholders’ perspectives

Munnik

Smith

2019

South African Journal of Childhood Education

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This exploratory study was conducted in the Metro North Education District in Cape Town.Methods: Five focus group interviews were conducted with a snowball sample of 35 stakeholders including parents (n = 9) and professionals from education (n = 17) and health (n = 9) systems. Transcriptions were thematically analysed. Resultant themes were summarised to reflect stakeholders' perceptions. Results:The results showed four major groups of factors that affect school readiness: community, adverse experiences, educational and familial factors. Firstly, community factors thematically identified were unemployment, socio-economic status (SES) and culture as impacting school readiness. Secondly, adverse experiences included violence, trauma and substance abuse that affect school readiness. Thirdly, educational factors identified are lack of stimulation, barriers to learning, teacher support and cooperation between stakeholders that influence readiness. Fourthly, familial factors such as parental support, variation in child-rearing practices and caregiver literacy exert influence on school readiness. Conclusion:Acknowledgement of and engagement with the above-mentioned four factors could result in a nuanced and contextual understanding of school readiness and might foster cooperation between stakeholders.

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Section: Theme 1 Community Factorsmentioning

confidence: 72%

Section: Adverse Experiencesmentioning

confidence: 81%

Section: Aimmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Contextualising school readiness in South Africa: Stakeholders’ perspectives

Munnik

Smith

2019

South African Journal of Childhood Education

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“…The community assessment was embedded in a social constructivist interpretivist theoretical framework that recognises that individuals' experiences are socially constructed (Lipshitz 2012, cited in Mouton & Marais 1994Vorster et al 2016) and sought to examine the context in which ECD service providers work, and their experiences within that context. There were three components to the community assessment (1) semi-structured individual interviews with teachers and principals in 10 local ECD centres, (2) semi-structured interviews with leaders of CBOs that provide training and support to ECD service providers and (3) the present study, a focus group conducted with eight home visitors working with families of children attending ECD centres.…”

Section: Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

The experiences of early childhood development home visitors in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa

Azzi-Lessing

Schmidt

2019

SAJCE

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Background: This article examines the development of early childhood development (ECD) home-visiting services in South Africa.Aim: To examine the factors that could support the success of home-visiting programmes as well as to explore the experiences of bachelor’s-level home visitors rendering such services.Setting: This study was conducted in the Eastern Cape, a highly impoverished area of South Africa.Methods: It begins with a discussion of the emergence of home-visiting as a strategy for the delivery of ECD services in South Africa and a review of the literature on ECD home-visiting, particularly with highly vulnerable, impoverished families. Next a focus group conducted with a small sample of home visitors as part of a multi-faceted community assessment is described. The results are examined within the context of challenges facing this particular part of South Africa and the nation as a whole.Results: Four themes emerged as most prominent: (1) encountering the effects of extreme family poverty, (2) identifying high rates and multiple aspects of child maltreatment, (3) encountering scarce resources in high-need areas and (4) finding rewards and maintaining a desire to continue serving challenging populations.Conclusion: This study provides a unique window on the challenges that ECD home visitors are likely to encounter when working with families living in extreme poverty, the resourcefulness that home visitors often demonstrate and the rewards to be found in this work.

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Caregiver perspectives of risk and protective factors influencing early childhood development in low‐income, urban settings: A social ecological perspective

Draper

Cook

Howard

et al. 2023

Infant and Child Development

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South Africa is a diverse country characterised by stark inequalities that undermine early childhood development (ECD). Caregivers of young children play a critical role in providing nurturing care to mitigate against risks to ECD. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore caregivers' perceptions of factors influencing ECD in a low-income, urban South African setting, from a social ecological perspective. Individual interviews were conducted with 15 caregivers of 3-5-year-old children from three low-income communities in Cape Town, and a reflexive thematic analysis approach was adopted. In the family and home context, caregivers spoke about their role in developing, nurturing, providing, protecting, and disciplining their children. Risks in this context included low socioeconomic status, dysfunctional relationships, and caregiver mental health; resources related to early learning and social support. In the preschool / school context, caregivers discussed the value of early 2 learning, and priorities for selecting early childhood care and education settings. In the community context, risks included violence and crime, whereas resources mentioned were social support, community programmes, and infrastructure. Caregivers also shared perceptions of the community's role in their child's development. These findings should be considered in light of the structural violence experienced in low-income settings in South Africa in order to holistically address risks and amplify protective factors for promoting ECD and the provision of nurturing care in these settings. Highlights• Caregivers are nurturing, resilient and resourceful.• Caregivers see their role in promoting early childhood development.• The impact of violence on young children can be underestimated.

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The everyday experiences of early childhood caregivers: Challenges in an under-resourced community

Cited by 10 publications

References 18 publications

Contextualising school readiness in South Africa: Stakeholders’ perspectives

Contextualising school readiness in South Africa: Stakeholders’ perspectives

The experiences of early childhood development home visitors in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa

Caregiver perspectives of risk and protective factors influencing early childhood development in low‐income, urban settings: A social ecological perspective

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