Needs Assessment and Program Plan for Community Childcare in Nairobi's Informal Settlements Open Access

Abstract

In Nairobi's informal settlements no formal childcare exists for children under the age of three-years, with limited availability for three-to-five year olds. This challenges maternal employment and girls' school enrollment due to their childcare responsibilities. At the same time over 50% of children residing in Nairobi's informal settlements experience stunted development, resulting from disproportionately high malnutrition, low immunization, dangerous environments, and poor stimulation. Therefore a community-based organization (Lea Toto) in the informal settlement of Kawangware, sponsored a child care and health community needs assessment. In hopes of creating a sustainable movement within Kawangware and other informal settlements throughout Nairobi, Lea Toto requested the development of a program plan for childcare services.

The purpose of this special studies project is to assess the need for early childcare services in Nairobi's informal settlements of Nairobi, and identify caregiver and community specific desires regarding child-focused services. Analyzing community needs assessment data from caregiver surveys and community-based focus group discussions elucidates the caregiver and community specific desires. Information garnered from the needs assessment informs a program plan for community-driven childcare. Additionally informing the program structure is an evaluation of similar programs' effectiveness, and national guidelines from Kenya. The analysis of a childcare competitor analysis will provide a framework for the availability and quality of existing child care and health services in the Kawangware community, where the program will pilot.

The goal of the program plan is to build an efficacious community-driven solution to the childcare crisis within Nairobi's informal settlements. The program plan will layout the framework, goals and objectives, activities, timeline, monitoring and evaluation, budgeting, and more. The program is developed under the name of the Kenya Community Childcare Initiative (KCCI). KCCI addresses the lack of childcare services available to women and their families, as well as responds to children's poor health and development in Nairobi's informal settlements. KCCI ensures children's most vulnerable years are healthy via daily care, robust nutrition, medical services and early childhood education. Simultaneously caregivers are empowered to work and sustain their families' livelihoods, while also improving sibling girls' school attendance.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................. 1

1.1 RATIONALE........................................................................................................................... 1

1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT........................................................................................................ 4

1.3 PURPOSE STATEMENT......................................................................................................... 5

1.4 AIMS....................................................................................................................................... 6

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT................................................................................................ 7

1.6 DEFINITION OF TERMS........................................................................................................ 8

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................... 11

2.1 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................... 11

2.2 URBANIZING KENYA............................................................................................................ 12

2.3 INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS (SLUMS).................................................................................. 18

2.4 CHILDCARE QUALITY........................................................................................................ 26

2.5 ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS OF CHILDCARE...................................................................... 31

2.6 CONSEQUENCES OF POOR CHILDCARE ACCESS............................................................. 38

2.7 CONCLUSION....................................................................................................................... 43

CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY....................................................................................... 45

3.1 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................... 45

3.2 FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSIONS:............................................................................................. 46

3.3 COMMUNITY SURVEY METHODOLOGY............................................................................ 52

3.4 COMPETITOR ANALYSIS METHODOLOGY....................................................................... 56

3.5 CHILDCARE MODEL EVALUATION AND PROGRAM PLAN DEVELOPMENT.................... 58

CHAPTER FOUR: COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT......................................................... 60

4.1 OVERVIEW........................................................................................................................... 60

4.2 EARLY CHILDHOOD SUPPORT SERVICES IN KENYA....................................................... 61

4.3 CAREGIVER SURVEY........................................................................................................... 65

4.4 FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSIONS.............................................................................................. 80

4.5 COMPETITOR ANALYSIS.................................................................................................... 99

4.6 DATA SYNTHESIS.............................................................................................................. 100

CHAPTER FIVE: PROGRAM ANALYSIS AND PLAN............................................................ 102

5.1 PROGRAM ANALYSIS......................................................................................................... 102

5.2 PROGRAM MODEL EVALUATION..................................................................................... 108

5.3 PROPOSED PROGRAM PLAN OVERVIEW......................................................................... 112

5.4 TARGET POPULATION...................................................................................................... 114

5.5 ACTIVITY MODULES......................................................................................................... 116

5.6 PROGRAM LOGISTICS....................................................................................................... 120

5.7 RESOURCES AND TRAINING............................................................................................. 122

5.8 SUSTAINABILITY PLAN..................................................................................................... 124

5.9 TIMELINE........................................................................................................................... 130

5.10 STAFFING PLAN............................................................................................................... 133

5.11 PROJECT OPERATING MODELS...................................................................................... 140

5.12 MONITORING AND EVALUATION.................................................................................... 142

5.13 ASSUMPTIONS.................................................................................................................. 144

5.14 RISK MANAGEMENT PLAN.............................................................................................. 145

5.15 PARTNERS AND COLLABORATORS................................................................................ 149

5.16 BUDGET............................................................................................................................ 152

CHAPTER SIX: IMPLEMENTATION CONCLUSIONS........................................................... 160

6.1 NEED AND DEMAND........................................................................................................... 160

6.2 THE INTERVENTION......................................................................................................... 161

6.3 MOVING FORWARD........................................................................................................... 162

6.4 CONCLUSION..................................................................................................................... 165

SOURCES................................................................................................................................... 166

APPENDICES: ADDITIONAL RESOURCES............................................................................ 176

APPENDIX I: Competitor Analysis of Early Childhood Centers in Kawangware.............................. 176

APPENDIX II: Global Childcare Model Evaluation Table............................................................. 178

APPENDIX III: Grant proposals submitted for KCCI funding...................................................... 182

APPENDIX IV: Grant proposal for the Dell Social Innovation Challenge........................................ 183

APPENDIX V: Grant proposal for the Global Fund for Children................................................... 201

About this Master's Thesis

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School	Rollins School of Public Health
Department	Hubert Department of Global Health
Degree	MPH
Submission	Master's Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Health Sciences, Nutrition Health Sciences, Public Health Education, Early Childhood
Keyword	child nutrition childcare program plan child health early childhood education community health workers community needs assessment holistic health early childhood development community development
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	McFarland, Deborah A, Emory University
Committee Members	Blevins, John, Emory University Argeseanu, Solveig, Emory University
Partnering Agencies	Religious-based organization International Non-governmental organization (e.g., CARE, Inc.)

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