Save the Children (the South African Programme) has published a report documenting practices used by organisations that create quality care environments for young children called the Report on Promising Practices in working with young children in South Africa.

The best practices documented in the report are the practices of six organisations that provide effective integrated care and support for children aged 0-6 who are made additionally vulnerable by HIV and AIDS, disability, abuse and neglect. The participating organisations, many of which are ECDLC members, include: TREE, LETCEE, DEDI, Cotlands, Sunshine Centre, and Age in Action. The common best practices which make their programmes effective include the following:

• Communities help identify vulnerable children. They are ideally placed to fulfil this role because they have an in-depth knowledge of the needs of children in the community and already have a relationship of trust with the families.
• Identified children receive services, either directly or indirectly through the provision of support to their family members.
• Some organisations provide specialists services themselves, but if they cannot, they all have a strong referral network of support.
• Most organisations engage in prevention work. They advocate raising awareness around the holistic development of young children though fulfilling their full range of rights and needs.
• The children are not just beneficiaries; they play an active role in identifying other vulnerable children, in caring for other children and acting as buddies (those who are aged 9-17). They play a role in child protection, health care and supporting and playing with younger children and children who live with disabilities.
• They adopt a child rights approach which ensures that all children, such as those living with a disability enjoy the full range of rights like all other children.
• Home visits are a key way to identify vulnerable children, especially disabled children who are often hidden away by families.
• Inclusion of all children is promoted. For example, the promotion of play between disabled and normal-abled children is encouraged to break down discrimination.
• Advocacy at a family, community and peer level promotes inclusion, acceptance and non-discrimination.
• All organisations adopt a broader definition of vulnerability. They identify and support children affected by a range of vulnerabilities or risk factors that impact negatively on any of their rights.
• Support to families is developmental and includes direct material support, training, sibling and elderly caregiver support, psycho-social support, training as ECD practitioners or as community care workers, other skills development and introductions to community savings schemes.
• Community ownership of the programme is central with facilitated buy-in and advocacy at community leadership level, alongside clear entry and exit strategies which anticipate the NGO handing over the programme to the community.
• ECD practitioners receive responsive and flexible training and content is developed around the holistic care and needs of young children.
• Home and community-based ECD initiatives complement each other and centre-based programmes.
• All programmes operate in the governing national policy framework and aim to strengthen national ECD objectives.

Click here to view a copy of the report by Save the Children.