Question

Discussion Childcare

Answer 1

A description of universal patterns in development and an explanation of individual differences in relation to norms provide an understanding of children which is useful in our day-to-day interactions with them. It provides an awareness of what children can do and a sensitivity to deal with them and help in their development.

The norms indicate the average age ranges for emergence of abilities. This helps parents and professionals to ascertain whether or not the child is developing within the age range considered normal for various abilities. With knowledge about the nom of development, the caregiver can plan activities for children that would be of interest to them and in accordance with their abilities. Expecting children to do tasks for which they are not yet ready can result in feelings of inadequacy and inferiority. But while talking about development one can only talk about possibilities. This is because each child will bring her personal characteristics and past experiences to bear upon how she will handle the present situation. All of this means that one can never predict with absolute certainty that a certain experience will result in a particular development. An individual can take different paths in the course of development.

IMPORTANCE OF INFANCY AND EARLY CHILDHOOD

The periods of infancy and early childhood have been acknowledged as the most significant in the life of an individual. Firstly, research has shown that the first few years of life influence later behaviour to a large extent. Many of the ways of thinking and behaviour of adults can be traced to early childhood experiences.

Secondly, the rate of development in all areas -physical, cognitive, language, social and emotional-is the most rapid during these years. A considerable amount of learning takes place in this period. Learning and acquiring skills continue throughout life but never again will the person acquire such a diverse range of skills in such a short period.

The third reason for the significance of the periods of infancy and early childhood arises from the second. Since development is proceeding at a very fast rate, unfavorable experiences such as lack of adequate food, nurturance and care, unhealthy living conditions, sickness, lack of interaction with adults or exploitative working conditions will hinder development to a considerable extent. In the same way, favorable experiences will foster development. Thus both favorable and unfavorable experiences will have a strong impact during this period.

The need for love, nurturance and secure relationships continues throughout life but it is of utmost importance in the early years because this is the time when the child is developing self-esteem. Positive experiences are important in this period.

Family life seems to have begun with the very first people on earth. That children need special care and nurturance is a fact as old as our civilization.

NEED FOR PHYSICAL CARE

Physical care of the child is essential to ensure her survival. During infancy the child is totally dependent on the caregiver. Good health is important to ensure optimal development of the child. Insanitary living conditions, unsafe drinking water and unhealthy ways of cooking and eating food can breed disease. The child needs food for survival and development. It is important that the child eats food which contains all the nutrients in the amounts required by her body.

NEED FOR STIMULATION

All of us respond to the stimulating events in the surroundings selectively. Any event that causes the child to respond is stimulation. The touch of a hot object is a stimulus which helps the child to reach the conclusion that touching hot objects is painful and they must not be touched. The entire environment is full of events, people and things, each one of which can be a stimulus. However, what the child finds stimulating and how she reacts to that event changes with age as her abilities and thinking become more complex.

The child's need for stimulation leads her to explore. Children are curious by nature. Exploration is the way the child learns about the world. It is curiosity and the desire to explore that have led people to making discoveries. At no other age is this urge more apparent than in childhood. This urge is the starting point of all educational programs. The child's social and emotional traits develop from her daily interactions with people and the stimulation she gets from them. Stimulation is essential for cognitive development. A stimulating environment during the preschool years, where the child has a variety of experiences and opportunities to explore and adults who help her understand her experiences and answer her queries, promote the child's development.

NEED FOR LOVE AND NURTURANCE

Love and nurturance lay the foundation for social and emotional development. The infant develops an attachment to the person who looks after her. Every new relationship adds to the child's experience and

Influences her attitude towards others. Nurturance also influences the child's feelings about herself. When the child is cared for, she feels she is important to people around her and is recognized and accepted. This adds to her confidence. In short, language, mental and physical developments are fostered by a caregiver who provides a variety of experiences to the child and does so with affection.

WHEN NEEDS ARE NOT MET

The fulfillment of the needs of the child will ensure her optimal development. If the child is not provided good physical care, it can lead to sickness and disease. Similarly, when the child lacks opportunities for exploration and has no affectionate caregiver, disturbances in development may result. The cognitive, language and physical development may also be slowed down due to lack of stimulation. The needs of children are interrelated and all of them have to be met consistently and continuously. An optimal environment is necessary to ensure normal development of the child. An optimal environment would include adequate physical care, a variety of experiences and opportunities to explore which will stimulate the child. A loving and nurturing caregiver is absolutely important.

Developmental changes in the needs of the child. As the child develops, her needs change and become more complex.

CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Children with a disability need more care. Children who have a physical disability or those who have an emotional problem have to be given special attention. These children must be provided special education in keeping with their abilities. A deaf child will not be able to benefit from the usual method of school instruction. Learning and teaching for her should take into consideration her inability to hear. Children with disability also need counseling for a vocation, patience on the part of the caregivers and assistance for health check-ups. Love and affection, so crucial for development, become all the more important in the case of such a child. The child already knows that she is different from others but she must not be made to feel inferior. A positive feeling about herself is important for the child in order to manage the disability and realize her potential. This is possible only when she is accepted and treated with affection.

THE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN

The needs of a large number of children in our country are not fulfilled. A large number of children born in India die within a few years of their birth. The reasons are many: inadequate food, living environments which disease and lack of money to avail of health facilities. Many children find themselves in distressing situations such as being orphaned, separated, abandoned or neglected by the caregivers. Many work long hours under dangerous conditions. The environment of such children is not stimulating and they do not get enough opportunities for play 'and exploration. In the light of the fact that the needs of children in many parts of the world are neglected, some measures have to be taken to remedy the situation. Children are future citizens and they must be helped to develop abilities and capacities that will enable them to be useful to society. Protecting children from the ill effects of poverty becomes a responsibility of the Government. Keeping these aspects in mind, the 'Declaration of the Rights of the Child' was formulated in 1959 by the United Nations. The declaration is a guideline for Governments and people working with children to plan programs for them. It is not, however, legally binding.

UN Declaration of the Rights of the Child: The declaration states 10 rights. The Government of India has accepted the declaration and is a signatory;

Right to equality: All children are equal and are entitled to these rights without discrimination on account of race, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin.

Right to special protection: The child will be given special protection and will be given opportunities and facilities to develop physically. Mentally, morally, spiritually and socially in a healthy and normal manner.

Right to name and nationality: The child shall be entitled from birth to a name and nationality.

Right to health, adequate nutrition, housing and medical facilities: Towards this end special care and protection will be given to the child and the mother including prenatal and postnatal care.

Right to special care for children with special needs: The child with special needs will be given the special treatment, education and care required by his particular condition.

Right to love and understanding: Society has the duty to extend particular care to children without a family and without adequate means to support themselves.

Right to education: The child will be provided with education which would enable the development of abilities, individual judgment and sense of responsibility and enable the child to become a useful member of society.

Right to be the first to receive protection and relief in times of danger and calamity.

Right to be protected from all forms of neglect, cruelty and exploitation: The child will not be allowed to take up employment before a certain age and, in no case, will be recruited in any occupation harmful to physical, mental or moral development and which interferes with education.

Right to be protected from practices which may foster racial, religious or other forms of discrimination: The child must be brought up in a spirit of understanding, tolerance and peace and friendship among people.

Directive Principles of the Indian Constitution: Even before the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1959, the framers of the Indian Constitution realized the importance of the needs of children. These provisions in the Constitution are guidelines and not laws. The three guidelines with reference to children are:

• No child below the age of fourteen years shall be employed to work in any factory or mine or engaged in any other hazardous occupation.
• The Government shall ensure that the tender age of children is not abused and that they are not forced by economic necessity to do work unsuited to their age. They will be protected against exploitation and abandonment.
• The Government shall try within a period of ten years of the commencement of this Constitution to provide free and compulsory education for all children until they complete the age of fourteen years.

The Government has however, been unable to-reach these goals. A large section of our population is unable to make use of facilities for education. Primary education is free in all states, but still only half the total number of school going children attends school. Despite various legislations children continue to work in difficult and dangerous jobs. The employers find loopholes in the law and the children are forced to work because of poverty.

National Policy for Children: realizing that the needs of the children of a large section of our population were still unfulfilled, the Government adopted the National Policy for Children in August, 1974. The policy states that children are a "supremely important asset" of the nation. Their care is the responsibility of the country. To meet these objectives the policy stated a number of measures among which are, the Government shall launch programs for meeting the health, nutritional and educational needs of children and will protect them from cruelty and exploitation.

CHILD CARE SERVICES

Preschoolers are called by various names: anganwadis, balwadis, vikaswadis, nurseries, kindergartens and play centers. Crèches and preschools provide early childhood care and education.

The Need for Child Care Services: Providing these services is important because a number of families lack the resources to fulfill all the needs of children. Crèche services are needed because the number of women who work outside the family setting is increasing. If child care facilities are provided in the primary schools, the older children will be able to leave their younger brothers and sisters in the child care center for the duration for which they are in school.

Components of Child Care Services: deals with the nature of inputs that should be provided.

Health: Health is an essential part of total development. Regular health check-ups to ensure that the child is developing normally and immunization against preventable diseases are necessary.

Nutrition: Adequate nutrition is important for the health of the child. It is known that a number of children do not get the amount of food they need.

Education: it means providing stimulation to the child by allowing opportunities for play since this is the way children learn.

During the preschool years the child learns a variety of concepts during the course of play and through the events and experiences in her environment. Some parents enroll their children at three years of age in a preschool. This is the beginning of preschool education. Preschool education aims at the all-round development of the child, i.e. physical, motor, cognitive, language, social and emotional, by providing the child stimulating experiences and opportunities for play and exploration. The preschool education prepares the child for formal schooling.