Abstract
BackgroundSomatic changes including growth and development of the brain of a human being occur very early in life. Programmes that enhance early childhood development (ECD) therefore should be part of the national agenda. Cognizant of this fact, the Malawi Government together with development partners facilitated the establishment of community-based child care centres (CBCCs) which are owned and managed by community members. This study was aimed at understanding how CBCCs operated and their core functions.MethodsUsing information from databases kept by the District Social Welfare Officers from all the 28 districts in Malawi, coupled with snowballing, all functioning CBCCs were enumerated. A questionnaire was administered to the head of the CBCC or a care giver. Highly trained Research Assistants also carried our observations of the structures around the centres and the activities that actually happened. Data was analysed using a Statistical Package for Social Sciences.ResultsCommunities provide structures, support for care givers, food, utensils, labour and play materials for the children in CBCCs. The first ECD centre was established in 1966 but the real surge in establishing these happened towards the end of the 1990s and by 2007 there were 5,665 CBCCs in Malawi caring for 407,468 children aged between 3 and 5 years. CBCCs were established to provide pre-primary school learning, and in some cases provide special care to orphans and other vulnerable.ConclusionsDespite the fact that most CBCC premises and structures fell short of the standards laid down by the CBCC profile, the activities and services provided were mostly to the book. Children were provided with nutritious foods and subjected to play that stimulated their cognitive and mental development. Despite the fact that some members of the community do not realize the value of the CBCCs, the existence of these institutions is an opportunity for the community to take care of their children communally, a task that has become imperative as a result of the upsurge in the number of orphans as a result of the HIV and AIDS epidemic. The study recommends that Malawi should take investments in ECD programmes as a priority.
Highlights
Somatic changes including growth and development of the brain of a human being occur very early in life
45% of the respondents said that their Community-Based Child Care Centre (CBCC) were initiated by Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), 42% by the local communities themselves, 5% by Government and 9% by other agencies which included City Assemblies and the University of Malawi
Once CBCCs have been established, they are supposed to be registered with the District social welfare officer (DSWO)
Summary
Somatic changes including growth and development of the brain of a human being occur very early in life. About 200 million children globally fail to reach their potential in cognitive development because of interrelated factors of poverty, inadequate care and poor health (Grantham-McGregor 2007). This is especially the case in resource poor countries such as Malawi. While Malawi has generally attained universal access to education, the country experiences the challenge of school retention: only 30% of the children who start Standard 1 reach Standard 8, the last class in primary school before going into secondary school (Kadzamira et al 2004). Within such a context where school retention is a challenge, increasing access to ECD programs would help in terms of creating interest in school and ensuring school retention among the school going age children
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
