ASSESING KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE OF HOLISTIC CHILD DEVELOPMENT IN SELECTED CHARITABLE CHILDREN INSTITUTIONS IN NAIROBI

Abstract

The present research was carried out in June and July 2011to investigate the knowledge and understanding of Holistic Child Development (HCD) and the extent to which it was practiced in 102 randomly selected Charitable Children Institutions (CCIs) in Nairobi County. The research also looked at the likely factor that motivated people to choose to work in CCIs and whether the institutions had any deliberate policies in regard to HCD. The researcher used a descriptive survey approach since comprehensive findings were envisioned. This was enhanced by collection of data through a semi structured interviews where the researcher had the opportunity to administer the questionnaire and interact with 214 childcare providers and 101 manager respondents. The research findings were both surprising and disturbing. It was found that most childcare providers had professional training unlike what may be the expectation in the public domain. However, it was equally curious to find that a majority of the childcare providers were trained P1 teachers and ECD trained personnel, yet they could not satisfactorily articulate holistic child development. While a large percentage of the respondents were familiar with HCD, none of the institutions was able to show that they practiced childcare with the concept of holistic child development in mind neither were there any systems to track services to children in a way that would ensure holistic development was taking place. Staff motivation to work as childcare providers could not be directly linked to purposive engagement to facilitate child development either. This survey was carried out with the guidance and support of C. B Peter, a Senior Lecturer at St. Paul’s University, Limuru.