special day care centres

APDCare

Many Branches of the Western Cape Association for Persons with Disabilities are running Special Care Centres (SCC) for their severely physically and intellectually disabled children. A SCC is a non-residential facility that provides for the educational development, physical development, socio/economic development, training, stimulation and care of children and young adults who are physically and/or intellectually disabled.

Chaperone Project

Western Cape APD and 5 of its local branches have formed a unique partnership with the Kenridge Dutch Reformed Church in a project known as the Chaperone Project. This project aims to organise two day outings per year for up to 100 children with disabilities from the Cape Town, Paarl and Worcester areas (50 children per outing). Many of the children come from poorer, under-resourced communities. The day outings aim to promote the children’s development and social integration through a fun-filled programme at an interesting venue for example, Tygerberg Zoo, Bugz World Play Park. The church assists both financially and in practical ways, so the project serves to raise awareness of members of the congregation regarding disability. The first day outing was held in September 2005. The Chaperone Project will run over a period of 5 years.

OBJECTIVES OF A SPECIAL CARE CENTRE (SCC)

Children with special care needs are able to benefit from a carefully planned programme. In spite of the fact that they are possibly not able to reach an educational level that will lead to academic work, they can participate well in a programme designed to develop important life skills. The objectives are to:

ensure that the child enjoys a meaningful and decent life, in conditions that ensure dignity, promote self-reliance and facilitate the child's active participation in the community.
ensure that each child is treated as a unique individual and provide optimum opportunity to the child to develop to his full potential under the care and guidance of responsible staff within a supportive and safe environment.
ensure that children are recognised as important role players in planning which affects them.
stimulate the development of the following skills:
- Motor (Movement)
- Social/Emotional (Feelings and behaviour)
  Children with disabilities can be encouraged to express emotions appropriately and to behave well in a group. These skills contribute greatly to the better functioning of the child in his family and cultural group. When he is able to participate in the life of the community, it is much less likely that he will be ostracised and rejected. Sexual adjustment and recreational activities are important.
- Communication (Talking and understanding)
  These are essential for all children. The child with severe disabilities can gain better communication skills by the use of sign language, verbal and physical cues and language and speech stimulation.
- Self help
  The aim of training in self-help skills is to give children a degree of independence and personal control over some aspects of their daily lives, e.g. feeding, toilet training and clothing.
- Cognitive Development (Learning and understanding)
  An increased knowledge of the world around him and better understanding of life, no matter how simple, gives the child a feeling of self worth and of belonging in the world.

EVALUATION OF SPECIAL CARE CENTRES

After an evaluation and needs assessment of their special care centres for children with disabilities, the Western Cape Association for Persons with Disabilities realised that these centres have, throughout the years, become;

social work group centres;
stagnant, with limited activities and services;
centres with little rehabilitation and training programmes;
not cost-effective;
a closed group with services that do not reach the disabled children in the community.

Despite these difficulties, the potential of the special care centres to develop children with disabilities as well as the therapeutic and social benefits are indisputable. The challenge is, however, to make these centres more effective and financially viable.

The Association realised that they needed to assist the Branches to transform their child care centres to:

become sustainable;
become less dependent on State funding;
become well-managed and sustainable with quality services;
become a facility in the community for assessment, rehabilitation and placement in order to add value to the lives of children with disabilities;
build a service where it is most needed and that reaches rural-based communities;
become a facility with services that link with social work services and social assistance.

APD CARE PROGRAMME

In order to achieve this, a model and a Programme was required that could assist special care centres to transform, but also provide support in order to implement the Programme successfully. Research was conducted to develop the APDCARE Programme, a model for managing and developing special care centres.

The APD Care programme is available in printed format at a cost of R75-00. Click here if you want to order a copy, and state in the Comments box that you are ordering a copy.