Parents and ECD programmes
There’s a view that parents (which here means children’s closest caregivers – perhaps members of their extended families) can take on important roles in ECD projects and programmes and fulfil them well. This assumes that they have the time and energy to do so despite the fact that they are overloaded by their struggle to sustain the viability of their families; that their life opportunities and experiences have left them with the necessary vision, confidence and skills; and that the agencies that operate or administer early childhood development (ECD) programmes welcome them as partners. There’s also a view that parents just want to pass their children over to programmes; that they lack the interest or expertise to directly support their children’s development; and that programmes can only be conceived, directed and operated by trained and experienced personnel
This edition of Early Childhood Matters explores questions, reflecting on practice around such topics as: what roles do parents have and why? What helps to determine these roles? How and under what circumstances do parents complement, support– even take over – roles that are often earmarked for trained child development workers? How is their participation viewed by other stakeholders; how is it fostered; how is it constrained
