South Africa is the first country in the world to implement a public works program (PWP) in early childhood development (ECD). This has important implications for the sustainability of the use of volunteers in the community.
42 Source: GHS 2004, own calculation
However, elsewhere (Section 3.1.4) the point is made that the government believes that the primary responsibility for the care and education of young children belongs to parents and families, which should be borne in mind when reviewing its ECD policies. Expansion of the ECD sector must be prioritized taking into account the strategic importance of ECD to the future workforce's skill set and the potential of this labour-intensive sector to successfully attract significant numbers into employment.
METHODOLOGY
To understand the current context of ECD policy and expansion plans, government officials were interviewed. To investigate models of ECD provision in the field, information was collected from NGOs on the programs offered, the costs of training and employment for practitioners, as well as the number of children each practitioner could reach. The criteria used by Karoly et al (2005) to describe various interventions for young children in the United States were used because of the useful framework it provided for comparative purposes.
Key informant interviews were conducted with NGO directors, NGO trainers, eCD implementers and principals, provincial government officials and other experts in the field. Due to limited capacity and time, it was not possible to interview all ECD NGOs in KZN. Four NGOs (referred to as NGO 1, NGO 2, NGO 3, NGO 4) were selected because together they provide about 85 percent of the equal development training for children in the province – an essential aspect to consider if the services were to be for the child's child's development expanded.
Between two and six interviews were conducted per NGO (apart from NGO 5, where only one interview was conducted). This was to get an idea of the experience of their programs with practitioners "overall.
QUESTIONS Themes
Interviews with NGO directors and project managers were in-depth with questions about the ECD models they use and issues in the ECD sector; the interviews with ZHF practitioners were brief as the aim was simply to get a snapshot of the impact the NGO training had made on their practice. The UKZN Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Senior Ranks Committee granted ethical permission for the study and informed consent forms were used. This was important when the interviewee's first language was not English although language was not a significant problem.
Where consent was not given for their position to be published, either the type of organization or no additional information follows (eg: Interview H, DoSD). Once the interviews were completed, the collected data were used to prepare descriptions of the ECD models. With increased clarity about the government's plans for ECD, projections were then made regarding the potential of the selected models to provide (presumably women's) employment and childcare.
The aim of the study was to use three models from the fieldwork (and one additional model combining different programmes) and project how many children could be reached and how many jobs could be created if these models were expanded. This was not intended as an evaluation of the program's impact on child development; this is beyond the scope of this study.
COMPARING ECD MODELS
ECD-I - targets both
Furthermore, the reasons why the National Plan identified one million children or the number of training opportunities allocated to, for example, NOK Level 1 and 4 qualifications are not clear. First, it usually takes longer than a year to gain an NQF Level 4 qualification, so there should be training costs. Assume that half of the contractors are qualified for NOK Level 4 qualifications and the other half are qualified for NOK Level 1 qualifications.
Professionals working with children aged 0-4 must have at least an NQF Level 1 qualification and aim for their NQF Level 4 qualification. This means that the annual training cost per site provider is R12000 – an average of the costs of 1 .and 4th level NOK. Professionals in the I-ECD-I program with NQF level 1 qualifications receive a monthly stipend of 400 Ran, caregivers equipping program facilitators with a certificate (but no qualification) in facilitation skills can receive a monthly stipend of 500 Ran.
Achieving the NQF Level 1 qualification is recognized with a R1000 salary subsidy and the NQF Level 4 qualification (whether you are a Grade R practitioner or not) with a R1500 subsidy. If half of the centre-based practitioners trained have an NQF Level 1 qualification and are paid the proposed R1000, and half have an NQF Level 4 qualification and are paid R1500, the average monthly grant will be R1250.
Caregiver Equipping for ECD Programme
- ECD-I
The centre-based ratio of 1:13 is the least powerful when it comes to reaching large numbers of children. It is clear that center-based ECD services are by far the most expensive option, almost three times the cost of I-ECD-I and almost twelve times the cost of caregiver equipping programs, and this does not include the costs for infrastructure, administration and coordination. etc. It is assumed that 60 percent of children will need services, and that the one million children currently in center care will also be cared for there, while all new services will be home-based.
It also assumes a provider ratio of 1:25 for center-based programs and two to four caregivers per 10,000 home care sites for home-based programs. This is only R0.27 billion more than the cost of providing services at the centers for 50 percent of South African children, when comparing the costs of doctors alone. Center-based programs will have much higher infrastructure costs than alternative programs, so including these and remaining program costs, universal provision using the combined model would likely cost less than center-based provision for half the 0-4 population.
The annual cost of employing a contractor in the combined model is the weighted average cost of the programs. Center services are the most demanding in terms of personnel and finances, while programs for equipping caregivers are the least demanding.
EXPANDING ECD
One of the main challenges in expanding the sector is to train a cadre of child development professionals to provide services (Altman, 2003). However, following the recommendation of the National Ministry of Education, ETDP, SETA is considering dropping NQF Level 1. They may be experienced, but they are not the right people in terms of qualifications (Interview V).
Before considering expansion of the sector, available financial and human resources must be secured. Interviewees noted that the R-grade sector is stabilizing due to the government's commitment to providing training for practitioners and subsidizing salaries. This points to the strength of the model found in the field where the local government has initiated the ECD programs.
A theme that emerged in interviews was that one of the underlying problems in ECD is the value placed on it. While in the field, it was quite clear that the value added and the resulting low financial compensation for care work was a major reason for the lack of sustainability in the sector.
CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS FOR EPWP IN ECD
Arguing for government intervention in ECD, an EPWP is a suitable vehicle for ECD expansion and has potential to help carers reconcile paid and unpaid work. Increased understanding of the social sector, care work and ECD will assist in the design of appropriate programmes. Even with all the justification for investing in ECD (Heckman, 2000; Karoly et al, 2005; Pence 2004; Biersteker, 1984 in World Bank, 1994), the dynamics and challenges of the sector must be understood in order to create a suitable strategy for long-term expansion.
This is not entirely the EPWP's fault; The state of the ECD sector is also problematic. The government's proposed EPWP in ECD differs significantly from traditional programs for a number of reasons. If a foundation for investment in the ECD sector is laid, the EPWP will be a suitable tool for training the practitioners who will hold the 0 to 4 age group sector together.
The challenge that carers face in reconciling paid and unpaid work has been highlighted by Folbre (2006), Chen (2005) and Sadan (2004). Carer engagement programs specifically encourage carers to improve the quality of the unpaid time they spend with their children, so again this will not free up time for paid work.
The state of the labor market in South Africa after the first decade of democracy. Employment creation through the delivery of social development services: exploring the possibilities, Development Southern Africa, Vol 22 (5), December, pp Paper presented at the DPRU/FES Conference on Labor Markets and Poverty in South Africa, Johannesburg, 22-24. October 2002.
The decline of the male breadwinner model: implications for work and care, Social Policy, Summer 2001, pp. available soon) ECD and the challenge of responding to the needs of the population under three years of age. Emerging gender regimes and policies for gender equality in a wider Europe, Journal for Social Policy. Gender analysis of the Working for Water programme: a case study of the Tsitsikama Working for Water project.
Putting the pieces together: A composite view of the government's unemployment assistance strategy in South Africa. Child Care Workers: High Demand, Low Wages, The Annals of the American Academy, May 1999, p.
APPENDIX A: SCHEDULE OF INTERVIEWS
- Schedule of questions for NGO Directors / NGO Project Manager/Co-ordinator
- Schedule of questions for NGO Trainers
- Schedule of questions for ECD Practitioners
- Schedule of questions for ECD government officials a) How would you describe childcare in the community?
Will employment in ECD jeopardize volunteering? . h) Describe the sustainability of your model. i) What other development services complement your model? . j). How would you describe childcare in the community? .. k) What would be your vision for expanding ECD services?. one copy of the form to be left with the respondent; one copy is signed by the respondent and kept by the researcher.).
The interview will be kept strictly confidential and will be available only to members of the research team. 1:6 or less and preferably with an assistant 1:12 or less and preferably with an assistant 1:20 or less and preferably with an assistant 1:30 and preferably with an assistant. The trainee ratio is 1:13 and assumes the same amount of children in each year.
For the Combination Model, I calculated the number of practitioners needed to serve the number of children currently in preschool. This was done by taking the number of children in kindergarten in the year (age 0, age 1, age 2, age 3, age 4) according to the 2004 GHS and dividing by the recommended practitioner:child ratios.
2.1-ECD-I
Caregiver Equipping for ECD
