Child caregiving practices in the Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana

Abstract

As work practices and living arrangements change rapidly in Ghana, mothers, who are considered as primary child caregivers, despite the considerable changes in gender roles, can be faced with making difficult decisions as they try to balance childcare with the demands of the workplace. Consequently, a large number of children grow up in the care of their mothers and other household non-maternal child caregivers. Despite these childcare arrangements, a comparative study of child caregiving practices of mothers and other household non-maternal caregivers and how their caregiving practices impact on children’s health and survival outcomes have not been widely studied, hence the study to bridge this knowledge gap. The study focused on three main areas consisting of children’s illnesses management, feeding practices and intra household decision-making on childcare. It employed a qualitative research method approach comprising in-depth interviews with mothers, household non-maternal child caregivers, key informants, non-participant observation and a small number of focus group discussions. Key findings from the study were that there were some push factors on mothers to engage household non-maternal caregivers as well as pull factors for people wanting to become household non-maternal caregivers. Also, some differences existed in the childcare practices of the two caregivers which have the potential to negatively influence child health outcomes. The study also found out that trust, communication and reciprocity between the caregivers were very influential in determining the quality of childcare provided by the caregivers. It is recommended that a guideline or policy should be promulgated in Ghana to regulate the engagement and practices of household non-maternal child caregivers in the country.