Institutional

We profiled eight formal crèches, or nursery school, in Monwabisi Park. These crèches focus on early childhood development and keeping children healthy and safe in the community. Crèches care for young children from 0 to 6 years old. Each of the eight crèches has their own daily schedule, which include time for playing, learning, eating, and napping. Some crèches supply food once daily for the children, while others ask that the children are sent with one meal. Each crèche is funded mainly by fees paid per child by the parents or guardians, and teaches in Xhosa, English, or a combination of both. When a child graduates from a crèche there is a graduation ceremony, and the children receive a certificate indicating their graduation. While there are eight formal crèches in Monwabisi Park, only 43% of children ages 0 to 6 actually attend a crèche. For most unemployed parents the cost of send a child to a crèche is prohibitive.