PROJECTS >> Home-based Care  | ACTS/Lay Counselling  | ECD Health  | Children's Circle of Support  | Parenting Worx  | Grade R  | Monitoring & Evaluation 

Early Childhood Development (ECD) Health

The third programme that falls under the Hermanus Rainbow Trust’s Health department is the ECD Health programme. This initiative aims to address the often poor conditions within crèches in impoverished areas, which can frequently lead to health problems and illnesses amongst small children and infants. A dedicated ECD health coordinator visits registered and non-registered crèches to evaluate crèche environments and to make recommendations to crèche operators about how they can improve their facilities. The programme does not allocate any financial resources to crèches, but crèche operators are advised where they might be able to find funding to make improvements. Relatively simple solutions can make a big difference in preventing the spread of illnesses affecting children in crèches. For example, if every child has her or his own blanket instead of sharing with other children, infections can be dramatically reduced. The ECD health coordinator also imparts general child health advice to crèche operators.