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

Abstract

One factor that has been identified to enhance the early development of children is the care provided by caregivers outside the home environment. However, little research has been done in this regard in South Africa, where a significant number of children receive care outside their home environment. The current research study subsequently focused on the experiences of caregivers who work with young children in an under-resourced community. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and revealed the following themes: the responsibility of being a role model; ECD is a place; and challenges for all. Overall, the participants in this sample yielded valuable information that contributes not only to our understanding of the experiences of caregivers in under-resourced communities but the information that also described how some contextual factors could arguably influence the type of care given to young children.

Keywords

• Early childhood development (ECD), caregivers, under-resourced community