scholarly journals The disempowerment of early childhood practitioners in impoverished and marginalised communities

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tilana Knafo ◽  
Brigitte Smit ◽  
Petro Marais
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Predominantly White ◽  
Narrative Inquiry ◽  
Early Childhood Development ◽  
Developmental Outcomes ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Childhood Development ◽  
The Social ◽  
Poor Children ◽  
Do So

Background: Quality early childhood programmes have proven to be highly cost-effective in reversing the detrimental consequences of poverty on children’s development. However, these programmes can only influence developmental outcomes of poor children if their needs are considered.Aim: The purpose of this article was to inquire into the experiences of two early childhood development (ECD) practitioners working and living in impoverished and marginalised predominantly white communities where the involvement of volunteers from charity organisations was prominent. The researchers argued that the practitioners’ experiences regarding their work should inform the kind of complementary volunteer aid and support sought for.Setting: The research sites were two informal predominantly white settlements where unemployed residents lived in makeshift housing.Methods: A narrative inquiry, nested in the social constructivist paradigm, was employed to explore the experiences of two practitioners. Data were collected from narrative interviews, observations, documents, photographs and artefacts.Results: Both participants knew well that the needs of the children in their care differed significantly from those of their more affluent peers and believed that training would equip them better for their task. Although both centres (and communities) benefitted from volunteer support, this well-intended aid was often misguided as the volunteers were not qualified educators and did not understand the context.Conclusion: The volunteers did not empower the practitioners to use their insight and experience to deliver a quality programme fit for context. Instead, they left the practitioners with a sense of disempowerment by dictating the programmes and practices to be followed in the respective ECD centres, even though they were not qualified to do so.

Anthill creations – scaling and sustaining a new social enterprise

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-29
Author(s):  
Sonia Mehrotra
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Childhood Development ◽  
Childhood Development ◽  
Social Sector ◽  
Indian Government ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Marginalized Communities ◽  
Start Up ◽  
Methodical Approach ◽  
The Social

Subject area Entrepreneurship, Strategic Management, Social Sector. Study level/applicability The case can be used in undergraduate, graduate and executive education courses in entrepreneurship and strategic management. It is a perfect fit for executive sessions at incubation centers for not-for-profit (NPO) start-up social enterprises. The case is aimed at early-phase social entrepreneurs and those interested in the field. Case overview Anthill Creations (hereafter referred to as Anthill) is a NPO organization engaged in building low-cost sustainable playscapes for underprivileged children. Their mission is to “Bring Back play” in the lives of millions of children of marginalized communities by building sustainable playscapes. It is an effort that contributes toward the objectives of clause 1.2 (Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, 2020), on “Early Childhood Care and Education” (ECCE) in the new National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 of India as released on July 30, 2020. The ECCE clause emphasizes the importance of “learning through play”; and recognizes it to be central to quality early childhood pedagogy and education. Anthill has been working on the same philosophy since its inception in 2016. They have successfully built 300 playscapes across 18 states of the country and impacted the lives of more than 200,000 children. The playscapes are built using upcycled waste material, such as scrap tires, waste cable and oil drums; further, they use local resources and contextual designs and built them by mobilizing community participation. The playscape play elements provide for unstructured free play for children and encourage them to use their imagination to invent new games. Pooja Rai – the founder and CEO of Anthill Creations, an architect by discipline started the NPO immediately after her graduation. It was her “calling” in life that pushed her to quit a corporate job in the early stages of her career and instead pursue a career in the social sector. The case details her methodical approach in pursuing her intuitive response to a social need, the way she adopts a lean start-up framework to set-up Anthill, her frustrations, personal resilience and ability to balance different stakeholder interests as she treads the difficult journey of building the awareness of inculcating play as a pedagogy in the early years of childhood development. The case provides data on the large proportion of the marginalized population in India and the abysmal conditions of the Indian Government schools. The objectives of clause 1.2 on ECCE in NEP 2020 show the Indian Government’s good intent. And yet with the prevailing conditions, the policy’s ambitious target of universalization of ECCE by 2030 (Chanda, 2020), seems a mammoth task, even for the Indian Government. On the other hand, Anthill as a small NPO of young dedicated individuals is invested and experimental in their approach; they have a tested model but financial dependency limits their activities. The ECCE clause is a sign of new hope for NPOs such as Anthill who want to reach out to millions of Indian children from marginalized communities. What could be a compatible, perhaps complementary or even skillful pathway to integrate Anthill’s tested model of building sustainable playscapes with the Indian Government’s good intentions of universalization of ECCE by 2030? How could Anthill “scale” for a systemic “impact”? Should not the NPOs, early childhood development researchers, funders and government authorities study collaboratively instead of the present siloed approach so as to bring about a systemic change in the thinking lenses about “play” to be an integral part of early childhood development? Rai ponders on the above questions. Expected learning outcomes To explain the importance of one’s purpose (calling) in life and how the authors can identify with it. To explain how an intuitive response to social need can be complemented with a methodical approach to social entrepreneurship. To discuss the importance of business model canvas from the social sector lens. To explain the important elements in sustaining small start-up social organizations. To discuss and evaluate the options an early-stage social enterprise can engage into “scale” for “impact.” Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

scholarly journals The Nigerian Integrated Early Childhood Development Policy: Perspectives on literacy learning

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 17
Author(s):  
Linda Newman ◽  
Loveth Obed
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Literacy ◽  
Development Policy ◽  
Early Childhood Development ◽  
Life Experiences ◽  
National Policy ◽  
Literacy Learning ◽  
Childhood Development ◽  
The Social

Many scholars and researchers now have a broadened vision of literacy that encompasses the social practices that surround literacy learning. What accompanies this vision is a shift towards thinking that children, and their families, can contribute actively to literacy learning by drawing on their strengths and life experiences to create and draw meaning from a broad range of everyday sources. For many, reading and writing from print-based texts is no longer considered the only, or most desirable, avenue to literacy learning. It is now recognised that children’s social and cultural lives should be used as a resource for literacy learning. Using four literacy learning lenses, we examine the Nigerian National Policy for Integrated Early Childhood Development. These lenses are: collaboration with families, the role of educators, literacy-rich environments, and diversity and multimodality. Recent research around early literacy learning underpins our analysis to identify where the policy could more strongly refer to the role of families and educators and to argue that there is scope for greater attention to early literacy learning in the policy.

scholarly journals Population-Level Data on Child Development at School Entry Reflecting Social Determinants of Health: A Narrative Review of Studies Using the Early Development Instrument

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 3397
Author(s):  
Magdalena Janus ◽  
Caroline Reid-Westoby ◽  
Noam Raiter ◽  
Barry Forer ◽  
Martin Guhn
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Social Determinants Of Health ◽  
Social Determinants ◽  
Early Childhood Development ◽  
Developmental Outcomes ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Determinants Of Health ◽  
School Entry ◽  
Childhood Development ◽  
Developmental Health

Background: The Early Development Instrument (EDI) was developed as a population-level assessment of children’s developmental health at school entry. EDI data collection has created unprecedented opportunities for population-level studies on children’s developmental outcomes. The goal of this narrative review was to synthesize research using the EDI to describe how it contributes to expanding the understanding of the impacts of social determinants on child development and how it applies to special populations. Methods: Select studies published in peer-reviewed scientific journals between 2015 and 2020 and incorporating the social determinants of health perspectives were chosen to highlight the capability of the EDI to monitor children’s developmental health and contribute knowledge in the area of early childhood development. Results: A number of studies have examined the association between several social determinants of health and children’s developmental outcomes, including hard-to-reach and low-frequency populations of children. The EDI has also been used to evaluate programs and interventions in different countries. Conclusions: The ability of the EDI to monitor children’s developmental outcomes in various populations has been consistently demonstrated. The EDI, by virtue of its comprehensive breadth and census-like collection, widens the scope of research relating to early childhood development and its social determinants of health.

scholarly journals CULTIVATING ENTREPRENEURIAL VALUES TO IMPROVE SEVERAL ASPECTS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT: THE CASE STUDY IN KHALIFAH KINDERGARTEN YOGYAKARTA

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-111
Author(s):  
Nurkamelia Mukhtar AH ◽  
Abdul Munip
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Creative Thinking ◽  
Early Childhood Development ◽  
Field Trips ◽  
Learning System ◽  
Childhood Development ◽  
Social Emotional ◽  
The Social ◽  
Cooking Classes ◽  
The Impact

The entrepreneurial values such as independent, creativity, risk-taking ability, and responsibility play an important role in directing early childhood development, especially in the aspect of social-emotional, language, and cognitive. Khalifah kindergarten which is based on entrepreneurship, support the life skills development of children with several of excellent programs for example Market Day. This study is intended to know the reason of Khalifah Kindergarten in applying entrepreneurship program, the process and impact of the program on the aspects of early childhood development. The findings of this study are: first, Khalifah Kindergarten wants to achieve its mission in integrating entrepreneurial values in all aspects of early childhood development by introducing them to become Muslims entrepreneur. Second, the process of increasing the entrepreneurial values is implemented through Beyond Centre and Circle Time (BCCT) learning system, entrepreneurship activities such as market day, cooking classes, field trips,  angklung music as an extracurricular activity, and habituation through continuous interviews with the students. Third, the impact of entrepreneurial values can be proved in several aspects of development. In the social-emotional aspect, the children have empathy for others. In the cognitive aspect, the children have creative thinking. In an aspect of linguistic development, they become communicative, and in the physical-motor aspect, the children have the high spirit to produce a work.

scholarly journals Immigrant and ethnic neighbourhood concentration and reduced child developmental vulnerability

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daphne N. McRae ◽  
Nazeem Muhajarine ◽  
Magdalena Janus ◽  
Eric Duku ◽  
Marni Brownell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Childhood Development ◽  
Developmental Outcomes ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Childhood Development ◽  
Median Income ◽  
Structural Disadvantage ◽  
Neighbourhood Level ◽  
Neighbourhood Characteristics ◽  
Ethnic Homogeneity

IntroductionStudies have consistently demonstrated a gradient between median neighbourhood income and child developmental outcomes. By investigating statistical outliers—neighbourhoods with children exhibiting less or more developmental vulnerability than that predicted by median neighbourhood income—there is an opportunity to identify other neighbourhood characteristics that may be enhancing or impeding early childhood development. ObjectiveTesting a variety of neighbourhood factors, including immigrant or ethnic concentration and characteristics of structural disadvantage (proportion of social assistance recipients, homes in need of major repair, residents with high school education only, lone parent families, and residents moving in the last year) we sought to identify factors associated with more or less developmental vulnerability than that predicted by median neighbourhood income, for young children. MethodsFor this cross-sectional study we used validated Early Development Instrument (EDI) data (2003-2013) linked to demographic and socioeconomic Census and Tax Filer data for 98.3% of Canadian neighbourhoods (n=2,023). The purpose of the instrument is to report, at a population-level, children’s school readiness. Children’s developmental vulnerability was assessed in five domains (physical health and well-being, emotional maturity, social competence, language and cognitive development, and communication and general knowledge) in relation to the 10th percentile from a national normative sample. Levels of children’s neighbourhood vulnerability were determined per domain, as percent of children vulnerable at a given domain. Neighbourhoods were grouped into three cohorts, those having lower than predicted, as predicted, or higher than predicted children’s vulnerability according to neighbourhood median income. Using multivariable binary logistic regression we modelled the association between select neighbourhood characteristics and neighbourhoods with lower or higher than predicted vulnerability per domain, compared to neighbourhoods with predicted vulnerability. This allowed us to determine neighbourhood characteristics associated with better or worse child developmental outcomes, at a neighbourhood-level, than that predicted by income. ResultsIn neighbourhoods with less child developmental vulnerability than that predicted by income, high or low immigrant concentration and ethnic homogeneity was associated with less vulnerability in physical (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.66, 95% CI: 1.43, 1.94), social (aOR 1.30, 95% CI: 1.11, 1.51), and communication domains (aOR 1.24, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.47) compared to neighbourhoods with vulnerability concordant with income. Neighbourhood ethnic homogeneity was consistently associated with less developmental vulnerability than predicted by income across all developmental domains. Neighbourhood-level structural disadvantage was strongly associated with child developmental vulnerability beyond that predicted by median neighbourhood income. ConclusionCanadian neighbourhoods demonstrating less child developmental vulnerability than that predicted by income have greater ethnic and ethnic-immigrant homogeneity than neighbourhoods with child developmental vulnerability concordant with income. Neighbourhood social cohesion and cultural identity may be contributing factors. Neighbourhood structural disadvantage is associated with poorer early childhood development, over and above that predicted by neighbourhood income. Neighbourhood-level policy and programming should address income and non-income related barriers to healthy child development.

scholarly journals A Cost Analysis of Options for Schistosomiasis Control MDA Programs Targeting Children Aged Five Years and below in uMkhanyakude District of KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mhlengi Vella Ncube ◽  
Moses John Chimbari
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Childhood Development ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Childhood Development ◽  
Team Approach ◽  
Vitamin A Supplementation ◽  
Schistosomiasis Control ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
The Cost

Abstract BackgroundSchistosomiasis negatively impacts early childhood development. Inclusion of children aged five years and below in mass drug administration (MDA) programs for controlling schistosomiasis could improve early childhood development in communities where the disease is endemic. We estimated the projected cost of implementing a schistosomiasis control MDA program for children aged five years and below in the uMkhanyakude district of South Africa.MethodWe calculated the cost of implementing a schistosomiasis MDA program targeting children aged five years and below using an economies of scaled based cost function. We further compared different labor composition simulations to determine the most affordable and available human resources to implement the program. We also explored programs to which the MDA program could be integrated; and estimated what the costs for would be. Moreover, we simulated cost-effectiveness and determined the cost drivers for each simulation considered.ResultsA ward-based outreach team (WBOT) for implementing a schistosomiasis MDA program targeting children 5 years old and below was the best labor composition option. The simulations conducted indicated that treating children in batches of 2500 using the WBOT team approach could reduce the cost of treatment by 53% compared to treating the children on batches of 500. Integrating a schistosomiasis MDA targeting children aged 5 years and below with the immunization program was estimated to cost 3% less than integration with the deworming and Vitamin A supplementation program indicating that the former option is more cost-effective. Praziquantel, the drug that is used to treat schistosomiasis contributed 59% of the total cost for such a program.Conclusion.We estimated that US$4.3 million would be needed to implement a cost effective MDA program targeting children 5 years old and blow over 3 years in uMkhanyakude district.

scholarly journals A cost analysis of options for schistosomiasis control MDA programs targeting children aged five years and below in uMkhanyakude District of KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mhlengi Vella Ncube ◽  
Moses John Chimbari
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Childhood Development ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Childhood Development ◽  
Team Approach ◽  
Vitamin A Supplementation ◽  
Schistosomiasis Control ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
The Cost

Abstract BackgroundSchistosomiasis negatively impacts early childhood development. Inclusion of children aged five years and below in mass drug administration (MDA) programs for controlling schistosomiasis could improve early childhood development in communities where the disease is endemic. We estimated the projected cost of implementing a schistosomiasis control MDA program for children aged five years and below in the uMkhanyakude district of South Africa.MethodWe calculated the cost of implementing a schistosomiasis MDA program targeting children aged five years and below using an economies of scaled based cost function. We further compared different labor composition simulations to determine the most affordable and available human resources to implement the program. We also explored programs to which the MDA program could be integrated; and estimated what the costs for would be. Moreover, we simulated cost-effectiveness and determined the cost drivers for each simulation considered.ResultsA ward-based outreach team (WBOT) for implementing a schistosomiasis MDA program targeting children 5 years old and below was the best labor composition option. The simulations conducted indicated that treating children in batches of 2500 using the WBOT team approach could reduce the cost of treatment by 53% compared to treating the children on batches of 500. Integrating a schistosomiasis MDA targeting children aged 5 years and below with the immunization program was estimated to cost 3% less than integration with the deworming and Vitamin A supplementation program indicating that the former option is more cost-effective. Praziquantel, the drug that is used to treat schistosomiasis contributed 59% of the total cost for such a program.Conclusion.We estimated that US$4.3 million would be needed to implement a cost effective MDA program targeting children 5 years old and blow over 3 years in uMkhanyakude district.

scholarly journals A cost analysis of options for schistosomiasis control MDA programs targeting children aged five years and below in uMkhanyakude District of KwaZulu-Natal Province, South

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mhlengi Vella Ncube ◽  
Moses John Chimbari
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Childhood Development ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Childhood Development ◽  
Team Approach ◽  
Cost Of Treatment ◽  
Vitamin A Supplementation ◽  
Schistosomiasis Control ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
The Cost

Abstract Background Schistosomiasis negatively impacts early childhood development. Inclusion of children aged five years and below in mass drug administration (MDA) programs for controlling schistosomiasis could improve early childhood development in communities where the disease is endemic. We estimated the projected cost of implementing a schistosomiasis control MDA program for children aged five years and below in the uMkhanyakude district of South Africa.Method We calculated the cost of implementing a schistosomiasis MDA program targeting children aged five years and below using an economies of scaled based cost function. We further compared different labor composition simulations to determine the most affordable and available human resources to implement the program. We also explored programs to which the MDA program could be integrated; and estimated what the costs for would be. Moreover, we simulated cost-effectiveness and determined the cost drivers for each simulation considered.Results A ward-based outreach team (WBOT) for implementing a schistosomiasis MDA program targeting children 5 years old and below was the best labor composition option. The simulations conducted indicated that treating children in batches of 2500 using the WBOT team approach could reduce the cost of treatment by 53% compared to treating the children on batches of 500. Integrating a schistosomiasis MDA targeting children aged 5 years and below with the immunization program was estimated to cost 3% less than integration with the deworming and Vitamin A supplementation program indicating that the former option is more cost-effective. Praziquantel, the drug that is used to treat schistosomiasis contributed over 30% of the total cost for the program.Conclusion. We estimated that between US$6,5 million and US$ 7,5 million would be needed to implement a cost effective MDA program targeting children 5 years old and blow over 3 years in uMkhanyakude district.

scholarly journals Impact of parental multiple sclerosis on early childhood development: A retrospective cohort study

2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (9) ◽  
pp. 1172-1183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neda Razaz ◽  
Helen Tremlett ◽  
W. Thomas Boyce ◽  
Martin Guhn ◽  
KS Joseph ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
Cohort Study ◽  
Retrospective Cohort Study ◽  
Retrospective Cohort ◽  
Early Childhood Development ◽  
Developmental Outcomes ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Childhood Development

Background: Exposure to parental chronic illness is associated with several adverse developmental outcomes. Objectives: We examined the association between parental multiple sclerosis (MS) and childhood developmental outcomes. Methods: We conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study in Manitoba, Canada, using linked databases. The outcome was childhood development at 5 years of age, expressed as vulnerability (absent vs. present) on the Early Development Instrument (EDI). Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: Children with an MS parent ( n=153) were similar to children of unaffected parents ( n=876) on all EDI domains. However, mental health morbidity was more common among MS parents compared with non-MS parents 49.5% vs. 35.3%. Among MS parents, mental health morbidity was associated with children’s vulnerability on the social competence (OR, 5.73 [95% CI:1.11–29.58]) and emotional maturity (OR, 3.03 [95% CI:1.03–8.94]) domains. The duration of child’s exposure to parental MS was associated with vulnerability on the physical health domain (OR, 1.49 [95%CI:1.03–2.15]). Conclusion: Parental MS was not associated with adverse early childhood developmental outcomes. However, children of parents with mental health morbidity, and those with longer duration of exposure to parental MS, were at higher risk for early childhood developmental vulnerability.

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