Understanding Parenting practices around children and adolescents to inform ECD and health interventions in Ghana

Summary:

UNICEF Ghana, in partnership with the Government of Ghana (GoG), sought to understand and gather evidence on Ghanaians perspective on parental and parenting practices for children 0-19 years. The overarching goal of the project was to generate evidence to support key programming and policies on early childhood and adolescent development. The study sought to understand caregiver/parental perspectives at various levels of the socio-ecological model. At the family level, understand what both parents (including parents who take care of non-biological children, primary care providers) think and do with regards to caring for and raising children. At the extended family and neighborhood level, understand how children are cared for and the role of the extended family and community in raising children. Also, the knowledge of frontline /social workers, caregivers of children and teachers on early childhood development and parenting and at the system level, what are the real and potential sources of support to parents, caregivers and duty-bearers with particular responsibilities towards children. The study had a key focus on children with special needs (birth defects and developmental delays) and on adolescents, who need parenting but in the Ghana context, are also parents. The study findings identified four critical behavioural areas associated with discrimination against children with special needs, stigma and discrimination against adolescent mothers, discipline approaches at home and handling of sexual abuse within the home or community structures. The study findings are now being used to inform ECD interventions in the country.

Background/Objectives

UNICEF Ghana, in partnership with the Government of Ghana (GoG), sought to understand and gather evidence on Ghanaians perspective on parental and parenting practices for children 0-19 years. The overarching goal of the project was to generate evidence to support key programming and policies on early childhood and adolescent development. The study also sought to have government buy in and participation from the beginning so that the study findings are used in ECD programming by the government. A steering committee, representing the key government departments working on ECD and adolescents and was anchored by the Director, Family Health Division of

Description Of Intervention And/or Methods/Design

The study relied on triangulation of qualitative methods (in-depth interviews (IDIs), focus group discussions (FGDs), and key informant interviews (KIIs)) in cross-sectional approach. Using critical case sampling, the study was conducted in eight (8) districts in six (6) regions. Individual participants were sampled from among parents (with children 0-19 years), adolescent mothers with children 0-4 years, parents with children with special needs, adolescents (10-19 years), foster parents and grandparents informed by maximum variation or heterogeneous purposive sampling. Using expert level purposive sampling, national, district heads, community leaders, religious leaders were engaged in in-depth interviews. The study involved a detailed mapping of ECD initiatives in ministries of Health, Education and Social Welfare, Community Development, Department of Children and implementing and funding agencies such as USAID/Jhpiego, and JICA. A total of 139 IDIs, 16 FGDs and 72 KIIs was achieved.

Results/Lessons Learned

The key findings showed that most parents across age groups reported positive health care practices such as exclusive breast-feeding practices, vaccination, birth registration but performing less on early simulation activities for cognitive development due to lack of knowledge on the benefits of the traditional games children engage in are geared towards cognitive development, bonding and socialization and hence lack of intentional practice. Indicators on nutrition and feeding showed that most parents are not practicing responsive feeding due to food unavailability. Although children are perceived to be safe at both home and school environment, protection of the rights of children is less understood, sexual abuse of children is less perceived as criminal offense to been reported to the police especially when perpetuators are relatives of abusers. Funeral related activities such as wake-keeping, poverty, fishing, begging, Internet fraud (Sakawa), transactional sex (among girls) and vehicular movements were the frequent concerns of parents

Discussion/Implications For The Field

The key recommendations include the need for governments institutions to collaborate more in executing interventions to address behaviour change against noticeable practices, invest in nation-wide screening of children with birth defects to generate database to help planning to mitigate their challenges and further encourage learnings from the study to inform revisions of ECD policy, National New-born strategy and other policies that focuses on children and adolescents.

Abstract submitted by:

Geeta Sharma - UNICEF

Patrick  Aboagaye - Ghana Health Service

Ruth Essuman -  Kantar Public