Early Childhood and Youth Development

Kiddies_story_time

Early childhood development (ECD) and youth development are keys to improving welfare in South Africa’s poorer communities, many of which have few safe and supportive places for children to learn, grow, and play. The CTPC partners with organizations such as the Centre for Early Childhood Development, Sikula Sonke, CORC, ISN and others to enhance opportunities for children and youth. Projects in informal settlements have built and equipped crèches (ECD pre-schools), supported teachers and principals as educators and small business operators, developed proposals and programs for youth hygiene and learning at water and sanitation facilities, assessed needs and practices in informal childcare by women caring for a few children in their homes, and explored related issues.

  • Navigate Projects that explored ECD and youth development.
  • Access Resources produced or assembled through projects over the years, anything from large reports and planning guides to sample plans, drawings, spreadsheets, brochures, useful links, etc.
  • Narratives and Key Scenes: hear firsthand from students at key points of their experience through scenes they wrote during their project.

 

Projects Listing

Early Childhood Development in Flamingo Crescent (2014) Project Website, Executive Summary: Facilitated the development of a community-driven creche and recreational area in the Flamingo Crescent informal settlement, developing a framework for a partner support network of community members, government and non-government organizations that collaboratively designed, funded, and built a creche.

Early Childhood Development Connection (2013) Project Website, Executive Summary: Supported operations at a well-resourced creche and explored ECD experience in informal settlements and used lessons learned in both contexts to develop plans and a supportive network for future CTPC ECD projects.
Supporting Early Childhood Development (2010)
Project Website, Executive Summary: Created an extensive proposal for an Emthojeni Outreach Program to be integrated into all informal settlements, making elements of early childhood development accessibly to all children in Monwabisi Park.


Resources

Getting Started

  • Crèche and Shed Portfolio PDF, docx: This document provides a checklist with questions and considerations in the planning of a crèche, including government requirements, staff qualifications, site plans, etc. (Safe House 2014).
  • How to Develop a Crèche Guidebook PDF, docx: This document gives a step-by-step overview of a community-driven crèche development process in Flamingo Crescent informal settlement (Flamingo 2014).
  • Important Informational Links: This page provides important links to consider for information, guidelines and NGOs, useful resources in the beginning stages of starting a crèche (ECD Connection 2013).

Registration

  • Registering a Crèche in Cape Town: This page outlines steps of land use clearance, fire and safety clearance, environmental health clearance and DSD registration, including the related links and forms (ECD Connection 2013).

Construction Process

  • Construction Designs  PDF, docx: This document compiles Solidworks drawings that were used to guide construction of the crèche in Flamingo Crescent, offering a good model for considerations and ideas in crèche design (Flamingo 2014).
  • Crèche BOQ and Schedule  PDF, docx: This document compiles the Bill of Quantities and construction schedule for the crèche in Flamingo Crescent, useful as examples for future projects (Flamingo 2014).

Fundraising

  • Fundraising Materials PDF, docx: This document includes a brochure, sponsor calendar, and information packet used as fundraising materials for the crèche in Flamingo Crescent, useful as samples or ideas for fundraising (Flamingo 2014).

Teaching/Management

  • Record Keeping for Kiddies College Preschool: This page describes the upgrade of record keeping for Kiddies College Preschool, including a how-to guide for a new payment program and templates for diplomas, contact sheets, and other forms (ECD Connection 2013).

Resources and Partners

  • Educational NGO’s: This page provides contact information of several ECD-related NGOs in Cape Town (ECD Connection 2013).

Narratives and Key Scenes

Planning

“From the Outside Looking In”: Students visit several different crèches in Cape Town as they wait for their own crèche designs to be finalized, gaining perspective on the different styles and conditions of ECD facilities in the area (Flamingo 2014).

Construction

“Getting Down and Dirty”: It is finally time to break ground on the new crèche, but with missing tools, changing plans and things running not quite on schedule, students learn firsthand some of the challenges of doing construction work in an informal settlement (Flamingo 2014).

“Leaving a Little Handprint”: The team and community members make great strides in the building process, finally seeing their planning and design work come to life in a busy two days of construction (Flamingo 2014).

Reflection

“Closing Time”: As the project ends, students pass responsibility for finishing creche construction to the community, and are able to celebrate and reflect on all they have accomplished in Flamingo Crescent (Flamingo 2014).

Team Flamingo Reflections: Each member of the team reflects on how their project experience has affected them personally (Flamingo 2014).