Family Outreach Programmes
The Centre for Early Childhood Development offers a Family Outreach Programmes to families in need in the Western Cape.
Our Family Outreach Programme aims to promote early learning and care within the home environment. It targets the most vulnerable families with young children who cannot attend an ECD centre. Caregivers are often unemployed or have informal, inconsistent work, and are at home with their young child(ren). The programme provides a package of support to the families we work with.
Home Visits
Our family outreach worker conducts home visits and equips primary caregivers with the knowledge needed to enhance their children’s overall early development. We believe that caregivers have the skills to provide quality early learning and care for their children at home. Our family outreach worker also provides direct ECD input with the young children.
Parenting Workshops
We provide parenting workshops for the caregivers. These are an important component of the project as it allows for knowledge sharing, peer interaction and community support. Topics such as health and nutrition, and play and creativity are covered during the workshops.
Food Parcels
We provide food parcels to the families as a way to promote a level of food security within the household. Many young children in South Africa do not have access to nutritious meals and this has a significant, negative impact on their development.
Playgroups
CECD empowers and supports caregivers who have been part of our programme to set up playgroups. The playgroups take place twice a week and are a place for the children to engage in early learning and social play.
Support Network
Through the parenting workshops caregivers are able to come together, interact and form a network of support with each other. This provides an invaluable opportunity to provide the caregivers with an external support system, based in their community, which can continue after their participation in the family outreach programme comes to an end.
Please contact us on +27 21 683 2420 or cecd@iafrica.com for more information on our family outreach programme.