Day Care Research Articles

Opt-out vaccination in school and daycare: Reconciling parental authority and obligations.

An increasing vaccine hesitancy among parents, which has resulted in insufficient rates of immunization, provides reason to reconsider childhood vaccination practices. Studies suggest that parents' decision-making process concerning whether to vaccinate their child is highly influenced by cognitive biases. These biases can be utilized to increase vaccination uptake via changes in the choice context. This article considers childhood vaccination programmes, which involve children being vaccinated in school or daycare unless their parents actively 'opt out'. We suggest that such programmes reconcile parents' decisional authority and vaccination duties. First, opt-out childhood vaccination based in schools or daycare centres are not disrespectful of parental authority. Second, the programme aligns the default setting with a moral obligation to vaccinate one's child that most parents have.

가치교육에 대한 유아교사의 인식 및 실행과 요구

Objectives In this study, we examined early childhood teachers' perceptions of value education and explored the implementation of value education in early childhood education institutions, and explored demands for value edu-cation improvement. Methods For this purpose, from May 21 to August 5, 2023, a total of 20 individual interviews were conducted twice per person for 10 teachers in kindergartens and daycare centers in Seoul and Gyeonggi for 4~5 year olds, and researcher journals, research participants journals, and other data were collected and analyzed. Results Early childhood teachers’ perception of value education was divided into ‘education to create a foundation for behavior’, ‘education for forming the right personality’, and ‘essential education for living together’. Also, early childhood teachers' value education implementation was divided into ‘reading values i n play and daily life,’ ‘informing various values through value activities,’ ‘transmitting value through modeling,’ and ‘continuing value education with family.’. In addition, the demands for improving value education for early childhood teachers were divided into ‘activation of value understanding education for teachers,’, ‘support for value education implementation materials for young children’, ‘providing a place for communication between teachers to share value education ex-periences’, and “support for improving parents’ and society’s perception of value education.” Conclusions This study is meaningful in that it understood how early childhood teachers perceive value education, how they implement value education, what their needs to improving value education by exploring early childhood teachers' perception, implementation, and demands of value education. Through this, it is expected to be provided as basic data to understand the practical measures of early childhood teachers for early childhood value education and prepare support measures for more effective value education implementation.

텃밭활동이 만 4세 유아의 편식, 식습관, 환경 친화적 태도에 미치는 효과

Objectives The purpose of this study was to verify the effects of garden activities on the eating habits, picky eating, and environmentally friendly attitudes of 4-year-old children. Methods Twelve children from A Daycare Center located in Gyeonggi Province were randomly assigned to the experimental group, and 12 children from B Daycare Center were randomly assigned to the comparison group. The experimental treatment was conducted three times a week for 13 weeks from April 15, 2024 to July 12, 2024.The experimental group experienced garden activities and conducted theme activities. Data processing was performed by comparing and analyzing the pre- and post-scores of the experimental and comparison groups using t-tests and using SPSSWIN 25.0. Results First, the experimental group that experienced gardening showed significant differences from the comparison group in both eating habits and sub-variables. Second, the experimental group that experienced gardening showed significant differences from the comparison group in all picky eating. Third, the experimental group that experienced gardening showed significant differences from the comparison group in both environmentally friendly attitudes and sub-variables. Conclusions It is significant that the effects of garden activities on children's eating habits, picky eating, and environmentally friendly attitudes have been verified, and it suggests that it can be applied to actual early childhood education settings to foster children's eating habits, picky eating, and environmentally friendly attitudes.

Including adults and peers through translanguaging in literacy activities

ABSTRACT Translanguaging in reading activities in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) can result in child engagement, language learning and the development of multilingual identities. Few studies have explored the engagement of very young children and languaging when they participate in activities with both educators and parents. The present study therefore investigates the ways in which educators in two daycare centres and parents jointly supported children when the parents read in the home language as well as the children’s engagement and interactions. The observational and interview data were collected in Luxembourg where a multilingual education policy is in place in ECEC. The findings show that the parents used the home language on its own or together with the instructional language which, in turn, resulted in different emotional and instructional support and impacted children’s engagement and interactions differently. While the opportunities to hear and speak a home language other than the institutional one resulted in most children performing their multilingual identities, children only engaged with content, interacted with the parent, educator and peers, and included them when the adults translanguaged. The findings suggest that children and parents can benefit from collaborative reading events when the adults draw on children’s multilingual repertoires.

자연생태 기반 STEAM 교육에서 유아가 경험한 행복의 의미

Objectives The purpose of this study is to examine the experiences of infants through natural ecology-based STEAM education using narrative inquiry, and to understand the meaning of happiness experienced by infants through natural ecology-based STEAM education. Methods A total of six children from 3-year-old K class at G daycare center located in I city, and three children and three girls were selected as participants in the study. Data collection will be conducted 30 times for 9 weeks from August 1, 2022 to September 30, 2022, before the interview on July 29, and after the interview on February 10, 2023 Field texts (interviews, field notes, research journals, observation data, memory boxes) were collected by data methods. Data analysis was Clandinin in accordance with the procedures of narrative exploration through participatory observation, a qualitative research method, from September 30, 2022 to October 30, 2023 & Connelly's five steps were analyzed in consideration of the narrative inquiry research procedure and the three-di-mensional inquiry space. Results Children's experiences in natural ecology-based STEAM education include ‘we (time) at a certain point’ and ‘me and you, I'll hit.’, ‘It appeared as a story (sociality)’ and ‘a place (place) where you’ and ‘I faced each other’, and it was experienced by young children through natural ecology-based STEAM education. The meaning of hap-piness was ‘Lalala heart! (positive/emotional)’, ‘one cross! (immersive/achievement)’, and ‘We fell in love! (relationship/meaning)’. Conclusions Based on the results of this study, we propose the development of STEAM education based on the natural ecology of infants and how the meaning of happiness experienced by infants in STEAM education should be fused with the 2019 revised Nuri curriculum and the center of play.

Molecular characterisation of virulence genes in bacterial pathogens from daycare centres in Ile-Ife, Nigeria: implications for infection control

BackgroundDaycare centres play a critical role in early childhood development but are high-risk environments for infectious disease transmission due to close physical contact, shared toys, inadequate hygiene, and poor ventilation. These risks are especially concerning in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) like Nigeria, where resources for infection control may be limited. This study aimed to identify and characterise virulence genes in bacterial isolates from daycare centres in Ile-Ife, Nigeria, to assess infection risks.MethodsBetween November 2017 and July 2019, 233 samples were collected from 76 children, 33 daycare workers, and 124 fomites in 17 daycare centres. The bacterial isolates were analysed using conventional PCR and RAPD analysis to detect the presence of virulence genes. The frequency of crucial virulence genes and the prevalence of each bacterial species were recorded.ResultsKey virulence genes were detected, including fimH in Klebsiella species (22.73% of Gram-negative isolates), algD in Pseudomonas aeruginosa (50%), and icaA and cna in Staphylococcus aureus (16.67%). Staphylococcus aureus was the most prevalent species (35%), followed by Klebsiella (28%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (20%).ConclusionThis study highlights the presence of virulent bacterial pathogens in daycare environments, posing a severe infection risk to children. To mitigate these risks, it is essential to implement enhanced infection control measures, such as regular microbial screening, improved hand hygiene practices, and disinfection protocols for fomites. Training programs for daycare workers on hygiene practices and routine monitoring could also significantly reduce infection transmission. These interventions are vital for safeguarding the health of daycare children in Nigeria and similar settings globally.

A study on indoor air quality at daycare centers using IoT environmental sensors

ABSTRACT Indoor air quality (IAQ) is a major concern at daycare centers, due to the weaker immune system of children. Although IAQ is typically measured in accordance with the ISO-16000 standard, environmental sensors have recently become widely used due to their ability to consistently monitor air quality at a lower cost. In this study, We installed IoT sensors indoors and outdoors at ten daycare centers to measure PM(PM2.5, PM10), CO2, temperature, and humidity, as well as window opening-closing sensors to identify ventilation behavior. Indoor PM concentrations were consistently lower than outdoor levels, increasing from 7:00 AM, peaking between 9:00 AM and 12:00 PM, and decreasing during nap time (12:00 PM to 2:00 PM). CO2 levels were generally higher indoors than outdoors, peaking at 2:00 PM before decreasing. Windows were opened more frequently at 7:00 AM, 8:30 AM, and 3:00 PM. The correlation analysis revealed that significant factors influencing CO2 concentration were window opening duration. Ventilation rates per person at the daycare centers ranged from 1.77 to 10.69 m3/h, below both Korean and ASHRAE guidelines. The results of this study can provide valuable insights for developing strategies to improve indoor air quality in daycare centers that depend on window ventilation.

Can SARS-CoV-2 Infection Status in Preschool Children be Predicted by Pandemic-related Attitudes and Concerns of their Parents? Data from the Würzburg Daycare Centre Studies (Wü-KiTa-CoV, 2020-2022)

As part of the Würzburg KiTa-CoV study series, SARS-CoV-2 pandemic-related attitudes/concerns of parents of preschool children attending day care centres were surveyed over a 21-month period. We expected associations between these parental attitudes/concerns and their change over the course of the pandemic, on the one hand, and the SARS-CoV-2 infection status of the children, on the other. Parents of children from nine day-care centres who completed a survey on pandemic-related attitudes/concerns in October 2020, July 2021 and July 2022, were included in the analysis. In July 2022, the children's infection status was determined by measuring nucleocapsid protein antibodies (N-AK) and, in the case of N-AK negative, unvaccinated children, the measurement results of spike protein antibodies (S-AK) against SARS-CoV-2 as indicators of previous infection were also taken into account. Changes in parental attitudes/concerns were analysed using trend tests, and their significance in predicting the child's infection status was analysed using multiple binomial regression analyses. Data were available from parents of 159 children (mean age 3.2 years). The overall group of parents showed an increasingly relaxed attitude towards the pandemic over the study period, although the parents' concerns towards a possible infection of their own increased. The infection status of the children could not be predicted from the initial attitudes and concerns of the parents. However, the subgroup of parents with an uninfected child tended to have a higher level of concerns over the course of the pandemic than the parents with an infected child and did not show the same increasing composure towards the pandemic event. The parents' increasing composure is understandable in the context of the reduced virulence of the virus variants prevailing over time, the increasing availability of testing strategies and vaccinations, and the withdrawal of pandemic-related restrictions. In addition, the mildness of most children's infections may have contributed to their parents' sense of security. The seemingly contradictory increase in parental concerns about infection may be related to the strong increase in the incidence due to omicron variant infections in the population since January 2022. It is possible that the higher level of concerns among parents of uninfected children had a protective effect behaviourally.

Developmental profile of Filipino children born during the SARS-COV-2 pandemic: pilot study.

The Philippines experienced one of the longest restriction periods during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to provide a developmental profile of 18-25 month-old children and identify factors associated with their development during their early years being born and raised during the pandemic. The study population was recruited through convenience sampling among families living in proximity to the daycare centers in Cainta, Rizal, Philippines. 116 children qualified to participate and underwent developmental screening using the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Checklist and their parents were interviewed related to demographic and social factors. The mean score of the children's Overall Development is 106.47 (SD = 13.43) indicating that children's skills were within the expected range of 80-119. Girls had significantly higher mean scores compared to boys [M Girl = 111.23, SD Girl = 9.95 vs. M Boy = 101.18, SD Boy = 14.83 t(114) = -4.32 p < 0.001]. Mean scores were highest among children whose mothers completed a high school education (M High School = 107.76, SD HighSchool = 12.47) compared to those who have some or have completed an elementary education (M SomeElem = 72.50, SD SomeElem = 6.36 and M Elem = 103.58, SD Elem = 13.86 respectively) [F(2, 113) = 8.18, p < 0.001]. Unadjusted linear regression shows a modest increase in mean scores as the number of household members increased [ꞵ = 0.86, (CI: 0.02, 1.70), t-score (1, 113) = 2.03, p = 0.045]. The developmental skills of 18-25 month-old children born and raised during the COVID-19 pandemic in an urban municipality in the Philippines are within average scores. Both hindering and protective demographic factors were identified as associated with the children's developmental evaluation scores. It is important to acknowledge these factors and continue monitoring the children's development and address needs among children who may need further support.

Child care for young children with disabilities.

More than half (56%) of Canadian children aged 0 to 5 years are in non-parental child care, but data on child care attendance among children with disabilities is limited. This study examines child care participation among young children with disabilities in Canada, with a focus on different disability types. Analyses were conducted on 1,189 children aged 0 to 5 years identified with disabilities from Statistics Canada's 2023 Survey on Early Learning and Child Care Arrangements - Children with Long-term Conditions and Disabilities. Rates of child care participation, difficulties finding child care, difficulties within child care, and whether parents reported that their child had ever been denied a child care space because of their condition were examined. Logistic regression models tested for differences in the main child care arrangement and difficulty finding child care based on the child's disability while controlling for sociodemographic variables. Among children aged 0 to 5 years with disabilities, 45% attended a daycare centre, preschool, centre de la petite enfance, or before or after school care as their main child care arrangement; 17% attended another type of child care, such as a family child care home or care by a relative; and 38% did not regularly attend non-parental child care. The parents of nearly half of children with disabilities reported difficulty finding a child care arrangement, particularly for children with emotional conditions. Close to 1 in 10 parents of children with disabilities who were using child care reported that their child had been denied a child care space because of their condition. These findings highlight the need for information to support inclusive policies, practices, and resources for children with disabilities within the Canada-wide early learning and child care system.

유아교사의 디지털 교육 운영 경험의 현상학적 연구

Objectives We fundamentally understand the phenomenon that appears in early childhood teachers' digital education experiences and operation cases, and through interviews and in-depth technology, we derived early childhood teachers' digital education use experience and operation and demands for digital education operation, and proposed effective application in the educational field. Methods Seven early childhood teachers with digital education experience at a daycare center in Incheon were selected as research subjects. Research data was collected through focus group interviews from April 25 to 26, 2024, through group face-to-face interaction tailored to the circumstances of the research participants, and phenomenological research methods of interpretation, coding, and classification according to qualitative data analysis procedures. was analyzed. Results The experiences of early childhood teachers using digital education were as follows: ‘educational value of digital media’, ‘role of early childhood teachers in utilizing digital education’, ‘positive experience of digital education’, and ‘digital education that realizes dynamic play’. Digital education operation experience was expressed as ‘classroom environment for digital education operation’, ‘selection and use of digital media’, ‘classroom operation using digital media to develop early childhood teachers’, and ‘digital education influenced by finances’. , The demands for operating digital education include ‘problems and limitations of digital education,’ ‘concerns in the process of operating digital media education,’ ‘plans for the development of digital education,’ and ‘education using digital media where our voices coexist.’ ','Literacy education for a digitally safe world for both children and parents.’ Conclusions The role of an early childhood teacher can be seen as connecting with appropriate digital media, recognizing the importance of linking with the elementary education curriculum, and understanding that the level of class varies depending on the teacher's ability to use digital media. In order to operate digital education in the educational field, professional education and financial support from the government must be supported. Early childhood teachers need a willingness to not focus on the convenience of digital education and an attitude of self-vigilance. When providing digital media to young children, they need to have a balanced perspective by teaching them how to use digital media safely and correctly, as well as the need to prevent addiction and limit time. The significance of the study is that it has derived a direction that should help in the formation of and act as a filter to filter out negative things.

어린이집 교사의 의사소통능력향상을 위한 TCIT기반 집단상담 프로그램 개발

Objectives The purpose of this study is to develop a group counseling program based on Teacher-Child Interaction Therapy (TCIT) to enhance the communication skills of early childhood daycare center teachers and to verify its effectiveness. Methods The needs of 215 early childhood daycare center teachers nationwide were surveyed, and the program was designed based on the ADDIE model. The designed program was applied to the experimental group, and its effects were analyzed by comparing it with a comparison group and a control group using the Communication Ability Scale (Fritz et al., 1999). Quantitative analysis was conducted using SPSS 27.0, and qualitative analysis was performed using session feedback reports, comprehensive feedback reports, and participants’ application logs from the experimental and comparison groups. Results For the development of the program, directions for the design, as well as the purpose and objectives of the program, were established. Subsequently, session-specific activity goals, content, and operation strategies were designed. The final program was completed through an expert validation process. When the final program was applied to the experimental group, the overall scores and sub-factor scores of the communication scale for the experimental group were significantly higher than those of the comparison group and the control group. In particular, qualitative analysis revealed that the sub-factors of memory, concentration, comprehension and interpretation, response, and analysis and evaluation improved among participants in the experimental group. Conclusions This study developed and applied a TCIT-based group counseling program, verifying its effectiveness in enhancing the communication skills of ealry childhood daycare center teachers. By demonstrating greater effectiveness compared to a comparison program (TA), the study highlights the potential applicability of this program in practical settings. Given the notable lack of effective programs aimed at improving the communication skills of preschool teachers, this study significantly increases the potential for future utilization of the developed program.

Blood mercury concentrations in preschool children and potential risk factors in São Paulo, Brazil

Environmental exposure of preschool children to mercury can elevate blood mercury levels (BML) and negatively affect their health. This study aimed to determine BML in preschool children from Brazil's largest city and explore potential associated risk factors. Blood samples were collected in 2013 from 2436 children (age 1–5 years) attending 50 daycare centers (DCC) located in São Paulo, Brazil. Parents or guardians answered questionnaires collecting information on sociodemographics and potential risk factors. BML was determined by Cold Vapor Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (CV-AAS) and categorized using a cutoff point of 2.77 μg L⁻1, corresponding to the 75th percentile. Multiple logistic regression was performed (p < 0.05). Data were georeferenced and associations with air pollution, wind frequency and direction were evaluated. The results showed a geometric mean for BML of 1.65 μg L⁻1 (95% CI: 1.60–1.70), arithmetic mean of 2.15 μg L⁻1 (95% CI: 2.09–2.22), 75th percentile of 2.77 μg L⁻1 (95% CI: 2.67–2.91) and 95th percentile of 5.51 μg L⁻1 (95% CI: 5.18–5.92). DCCs located in the Northwest and East zones (p < 0.001) and fish consumption in the past two days (p = 0.04) were associated with high BML. The elevated BML observed in children living in the eastern zone might be attributed to the southeasterly winds passing through a petrochemical complex located nearby. The 95th percentile of BML in this study exceeded the U.S. 95th percentile by five times. BML in São Paulo preschool children was associated with individual and environmental risk factors. This finding highlights the need to identify and control hot spots in São Paulo, Brazil, especially in peripheral and surrounding areas, where individuals are more vulnerable. Further research is needed in Latin America to identify additional sources of urban environmental mercury exposure and guide interventions for protecting the environment and safeguarding children's health.

Effectiveness of early childhood education interventions to improve complementary feeding practices in children 4 to 36 months of age: a systematic review protocol.

Healthy eating habits, which start with food introduction, can influence children's growth and development. Therefore, the educational actions carried out at school for children who are beginning to eat, involving families and school staff who attend daycare centers, can serve as strategies to improve complementary feeding practices. This review will analyze the effectiveness of early childhood education interventions to improve complementary feeding practices in children aged 4 to 36 months. The review will consider randomized clinical trials, cluster-randomized clinical trials, and controlled clinical trials that evaluate the effectiveness of early childhood education interventions involving children aged 4 to 36 months, their families, or school staff to improve complementary feeding. In their absence, observational cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies may be considered. This review will be conducted in line with the JBI methodology for systematic reviews of effectiveness. The search for relevant studies will be conducted in PubMed, Embase (Ovid), BIREME, Scopus, the Cochrane Library (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials CENTRAL and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews), CINAHL (EBSCOhost), and the ProQuest Databases (ProQuest Central). No date or language limitation will be applied. Two independent reviewers will select studies by screening titles, abstracts, and keywords against the inclusion criteria. This will be followed by full-text screening. Two independent reviewers will then conduct the study method quality evaluation and data extraction. GRADEpro will be used to assess the certainty in the findings, which will be reported in a systematic review, and, if possible, grouped in a meta-analysis. PROSPERO CRD42022384704.

Effectiveness of Walking Exercise in Improving Physical Fitness and Depression in Patients With Schizophrenia.

Patients with schizophrenia often lack physical activity, which, together with physical complications, can lower their expected lifespan. Exercise strengthens their physical and mental health. The primary aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a walking exercise intervention in improving physical fitness, body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, and depressive symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. A quasi-experimental study design was used. Seventy-six participants were recruited from the psychiatric daycare center at a hospital in Northern Taiwan. They were divided into two groups. The intervention group received a walking exercise intervention, while the control completed their daily courses at the psychiatric daycare center. The changes in both groups' physical fitness, BMI, waist-to-hip ratio, and depressive symptoms were monitored. Cardiorespiratory endurance significantly improved in the intervention group, attesting to the effectiveness of the walking exercise intervention. Their depression level significantly decreased across all measurement stages. The group walking exercise reduced sedentary behaviors and increased the participants' autonomous motivation, hip circumference, and cardiorespiratory fitness. Structured exercise programs may increase the patients' hippocampal neuroplasticity and reduce their depressive symptoms. The walking exercise intervention positively affected physiological traits, physical fitness, and mental health of the participants.

Analyzing and Optimizing the Distribution of Blood Lead Level Testing for Children in New York City: A Data-Driven Approach.

This study investigates blood lead level (BLL) rates and testing among children under 6 years of age across the 42 neighborhoods in New York City from 2005 to 2021. Despite a citywide general decline in BLL rates, disparities at the neighborhood level persist and are not addressed in the official reports, highlighting the need for this comprehensive analysis. In this paper, we analyze the current BLL testing distribution and cluster the neighborhoods using a k-medoids clustering algorithm. We propose an optimized approach that improves resource allocation efficiency by accounting for case incidences and neighborhood risk profiles using a grid search algorithm. Our findings demonstrate statistically significant improvements in case detection and enhanced fairness by focusing on under-served and high-risk groups. Additionally, we propose actionable recommendations to raise awareness among parents, including outreach at local daycare centers and kindergartens, among other venues.

Barriers and Facilitators to the Applicability of Adult Daycare Centers in Saudi Arabia: A Qualitative Study.

Adult daycare centers (ADCs) enable older adults to socialize and enjoy planned group activities while receiving healthcare services. These centers also assist caregivers by empowering them to remain in the workforce. This study aims to explore the challenges in establishing ADCs in Saudi Arabia (SA) from the perspectives of healthcare professionals, healthcare policymakers, older adults, and caregivers. Additionally, this study's objective is to identify the barriers, facilitators, and applicability of ADCs in SA. A qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured individual interviews. Inductive and deductive thematic analyses were employed to identify common themes regarding the barriers and facilitators to the applicability of ADCs in SA. Five researchers independently examined the transcripts using inductive analysis. Deductive analysis mapped the themes to Campinha-Bacote's cultural competence model. Data were collected from 46 participants, including caregivers, older adults, healthcare professionals, and healthcare policymakers. The findings highlight that the main facilitators to establishing ADCs in SA are the expected positive impact on the psychological and physical well-being of older adults and their caregivers. Conversely, cost and transportation, in addition to cultural considerations are possible barriers. This study identified the perceived benefits of ADCs for older adults and caregivers from a Saudi societal perspective. Thematic analysis showed that ADC's applicability in SA is possible, with some modifications to fit within the Saudi context. Additional efforts are necessary to promote the concepts and services that ADCs provide for older adults and to encourage support for these centers by non-profit organizations and the government.

Can sound field amplification be of use in daycare centres? An explorative pilot study

This study evaluates the effects of Sound Amplification Systems (SFA) on reducing vocal strain in daycare staff and enhancing children's concentration in noisy environments. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, structured questionnaires were distributed to 11 daycare staff members in Turku, Finland, to gather both quantitative and qualitative data on their experiences with SFA. The analysis revealed that SFA significantly lowered vocal strain for staff, especially during group activities, and improved children's engagement by making speech more intelligible amidst background noise. However, practical challenges such as SFA mobility and adaptability in diverse settings were identified. The findings suggest SFA's potential benefits in early childhood educational settings, while also highlighting the need for further research to address implementation challenges and confirm these preliminary results with a larger participant sample.

Quality improvement through team development: the role of headteachers in Early Childhood Education settings in Germany

ABSTRACT Research shows the importance of leadership for quality development in settings of Early Childhood Education [ECE] (Anders and Oppermann 2024). This study investigated how headteachers of ECE settings in Germany pursue the goal of team development as a prerequisite for quality development and use external expertise for this purpose. Twenty-two heads who took part in the federal initiative ‘core day-care centres: language and instruction’ (Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, 2011–2015) were interviewed in this qualitative study. Findings suggest that team development is something that headteachers generally leave to external professionals and need support in developing their self-image as leaders.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Caregivers of Children with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities: A Qualitative Study

Background/Aim: It is well known that caregivers of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDD) face challenges. These challenges increased further due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the related restrictions. There was very little data from India on these challenges. This study was done with the primary aim to gain insights about the challenges faced by parents of children with NDD through their personal stories. Methods: Participants were recruited using purposive sampling method and semi-structured interviews were conducted through a telephone or in person. Data saturation was achieved by the sixth participant and 2 more interviews were performed for further confirmation. Interviews were transcribed, and a 7-step Colaizzi’s phenomenological method was used to identify different themes. Results: The impact of COVID-19 on caregivers of children with NDD can be summarized into 4 broad themes. First, there were challenges related to “therapy” which included closure of day-care centers and schools, inaccessibility to professionals, and disruption in home-based learning. Second, there were “child” related challenges which included inappropriate behaviors. Third, there were “family” challenges which included misunderstandings between parents and difficulties in adhering to family routines. Lastly, there were “personal” challenges related to physical and psychological health. Conclusion: The personal stories of caregivers of children with NDD highlight the pressing need to provide appropriate support and formulate holistic models to enhance well-being of caregivers during difficult periods.