Child-care programmes for health and family support

Demographic, social and economic factors have affected the types of health and social service support that the people require. For many, child care is a necessity, not an option. Child care refers to group care of children in creche, child minding, family day care, kindergarten and day care in different settings. Maternal and child health services are often seen as sources of curative rather than preventive care. Planning by the health and social sectors has failed to incorporate many of the perceived needs of the communities. As a result, the services that are available have neither attracted the attention, nor inspired the confidence of the people. One possible strategy is to integrate health care into the rapidly expanding systems of child care that are developing out of family and community needs. These health services can be developed and delivered by adequately trained child-care as well as health-care personnel. With appropriate and simple back-up technologies and skills and referral mechanism, the child-care personnel can undertake some of the MCH care activities in child-care centres. When needed, either a primary health worker or nurse-midwife from health sector should deliver services. Early-childhood care programmes are in increasing demand. Such programmes have potential to reach more than half of the population consisting of the children under-five years of age and their parents. Child-care and development programmes have a social attractiveness and acceptability that invites participation from families that might not avail themselves of primary health-care services.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)