What is a Community Child Care Centre?

In a community-owned childcare service, any profit goes back into the centre to improve the programme’s quality. It contrasts with privately owned childcare services, where a percentage of profits are delivered to shareholders, directors and owners.

CBCCs offer many opportunities for families to build supportive relationships, including parent councils, message boards, potlucks and family volunteer activities.

What is a community childcare centre?

A community childcare centre is a childcare service owned and operated by a local community. These centres are usually run by a committee that oversees the daily running of the service. These centres are often based in existing buildings, such as churches, old shops and individuals homes.

They provide children with real-life, meaningful opportunities to engage in their community. Through initiating and participating in community projects, children develop their agency, enact their social responsibility and connect with the broader world. These rich experiences help children become well-educated citizens actively participating in their communities.

Why do we need community childcare centres?

Communities establish community childcare centres (CBCCs) to provide a safe place for children to learn and play. Local members supervise them and are often located in structures such as churches, old shops or individuals’ homes. These centres are supported by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Community Development and UNICEF through the training of caregivers and the provision of play materials and utensils.

These centres offer children rich, authentic opportunities to participate in community projects and respond to the needs of their community. These activities help children develop a sense of agency and demonstrate consideration and compassion for the world around them. They also support children to understand their role as a citizen in their community. These are essential skills for lifelong learning.

What are the benefits of community childcare centres?

As the saying goes, “It takes a village to raise a child.” Community childcare centre offers children and their families a space to gather and access essential services that support holistic childhood development. It includes access to education, water and sanitation, primary health care and food security. They are also a platform for the community to unite and discuss important issues facing their children.

A local committee of community members often runs these centres. They are in church buildings, old shops or individual homes (Ministry of Gender, Children and Community Development and UNICEF, 2002). They can be a source of pride for the community and act as a catalyst for positive change.

Community-based centres can give educators a rich opportunity to give children meaningful, authentic learning experiences. Educators involved in the community have a greater understanding of the culture and can offer children a more diverse set of experiences. These opportunities help children develop their sense of responsibility for their community and positively impact their behaviour and dispositions towards learning.

However, some communities can establish CBCCs in places more suited for childcare. For example, the Polyhigh CBCC in Wellington is located on the campus of a local school and Massey University. It allows it to take advantage of resources that would otherwise not be available to the children. It has led to improved assessment practices and a better overall learning environment.

Another challenge for CBCCs is the high cost of running them. In some instances, providers must rely on funding from various sources. It can make it difficult to balance different needs and priorities. In addition, some providers find navigating the complex world of child development policies and laws challenging.

Some community childcare centres have developed a solution to this problem by offering ‘childcare-plus’ services. These include psychosocial support, primary health care and hygiene education. They also allow children to participate in community projects and activities. It provides children with various opportunities to learn through participation and develop critical social skills, such as empathy, compassion and agency. It can also help them form positive and meaningful connections with the broader community. The waste pickers’ CBCC in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, is a good example. 

Lastly, some providers struggle to balance the demand for their services with other local activities. It can be especially true for those operating in rural and island areas.