AN ASSESSMENT OF PSYCHOSOCIAL CHALLENGES OF CHILDREN IN CHILD HEADED HOUSEHOLDS IN KASARANI CONSTITUENCY, KENYA.

Abstract

Providing care and support for vulnerable children is one of the biggest challenges in Kenya today. There is the growing numbers of children without a constant primary care giver, (Meintjes et al, 2010).This situation seem to overwhelm both human and capital resources in society in general. According to the research findings, child vulnerability is a distressing consequence of not only HIV and AIDS, but also high poverty levels, neglect in parenting and adults’ irresponsibility. This situation has resulted in children taking care of fellow children, even without having grown up themselves. This study sought to assess the magnitude of effects on personal attributes and especially the impact on life skills development of the child in a child headed. It also tied to articulate the emotional traumas of children who have to shoulder the burden of providing themselves not only basic survival needs and emotional support. The complex issue of acknowledging the existence of Child headed house holds is compounded by very little research in this area and hence lack of data to make the phenomenon well understood. This study herein sought to confirm the existence of child headed households right in the periphery of the city of Nairobi, precisely in Kasarani constituency. The research also aims at clarifying emotional and cognitive difficulties encountered by children growing up in households lacking in firm guidance and care of a parent figure .A descriptive survey was carried out in Kasarani constituency; where both qualitative and quantitative data was collected. Questionnaires were filled by adults in position of responsibility, who were perceived to have direct link with child welfare. Ten adults were sampled. The 24 children sampled were adolescents purposely sampled as they were identified to be living in households without an adult guide. An observation checklist was also filled on characteristic of the child respondent. Triangulation in this study enabled the researcher to acquire different perspectives on the children’s situation and community reaction to the needs of the children. This increased the trustworthiness of information generated herein. The findings show that there is quite a big group of children who have taken up siblings parenting. There seems to be a subtle agreement of the need for siblings to stay and grow together to keep family identity .It is also a reaction to society which they interpret as stigmatizing of their situation. The findings also indicate that the children in such household have bottled up emotional problems, which impede their maximization of their potentials. The researcher proposes that mitigation for vulnerable children take cognizance of child led households, involve the child in mitigation programs so that actual needs are addressed. Further the researcher recommends that care and support should include measures to foster psycho-social competences in children. There is need to carry out further qualitative research for better practices in child care and to foster development of positive attributes in children.