Co-researchers: Individuals from FCW, FIF, and the Vygieskraal community who worked with us on this project.

Crèche (formal vs informal): South African day-care centre for children 0-6 years old. Formal crèches are registered by the government, whereas informal ones are not.

Early childhood development (ECD): The first stages of development for young children from age 0-6.

Family in Focus (FIF): A programme designed by FCW to reach out to young children and their caregivers in marginalized communities. This programme is further explained here: http://wordworks.org.za/downloads/FCW-And-Wordworks-Learning-Brief-28-final.pdf

Foundation for Community Work (FCW): A resource ECD organisation that promotes the holistic development of children within the context of their families and communities, through innovative, integrated and sustainable programmes.

Home visitor: A member of the community who was trained by FCW to work with individual families and hold parenting programmes.

Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP): A South African government policy instituted in 1994 with the goal of using the country’s resources to promote a “democratic, non-racial, and non-sexist future” (O’Malley, 1994). Part of this initiative involves providing concrete structures with infrastructure, such as running water, electricity, and sewage, to individuals who were displaced by apartheid; there are about 90 RDP houses in Vygieskraal.

Settlement: In relation to this project, a settlement is a neighborhood comprised of a mix of formal and informal housing structures.

Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI): A science, technology, engineering, and mathematics university located in Massachusetts, USA.