ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT OF ECCD PROGRAMMES

Lesson 04: Types of ECCE programmes

Based on funds and resources

The type of programmes that will be set up is certainly related to the assessed need and to the stated philosophy. It also depends on the sources of funds available and the origin of the impetus for the programme. Non profit programmes receive financial support through government funding or subsidies from sponsoring agencies while profit making programmes are supported by capital investments of individuals or corporations.

If the interest in the programmes comes from a group of members from low income families who approach their community action agency requesting service, their request could result in government sponsored non-profit programmes. On the other hand if an individual considers establishing a day care center in a town or city, it will be an individually owned center and comes under profit making programmes.

Profit making programmes

Although much is written about the non-profit programmes a large majority of the ECE programmes are proprietary. These proprietary programmes are set up to provide a service which will make a profit.

• Independent owner: Many daycare and half day programmes are owned and operated by an individual or a small group partnerships or small corporations. In the case of proprietary center, tuition fee is the only source of income and operators frequently have budgeting problems. The proprietary operators may be able to draw a salary from the tuition fee that is paid by the families using the service but the operators rarely make a profit over and above the staff salaries because of the high cost of operating a quality programme.
• Corporate systems: Large chain systems are operated by parent campaigning that develops a prototype and sets up a large number of centers throughout the state. These chains operate under a central administration that furnishes the financial purpose and is usually powerful in setting the policy and controlling the programmes. There is usually a prototype building and programmes which are publicized by identifiable slogans, logos, brochures and advertisements.

Non profit programmes

There are both public and private nonprofit programmes that range in size and scope from the small cooperative school to the large complex preschool programmes within public school programmes.

• Individual cooperative programmes: Co-operative programmes which are often called parent cooperatives are owned and operated by a group of parents on nonprofit basis. Since parents are expected to help in the classroom, the small co-operative preschools usually functions with one or two paid staff members. Consequently costs are kept at a minimum and the tuition fee is low. Most cooperatives are half day programmes because they require parent participation. However some cooperatives are organized as daycare centers.
• Agency sponsored programmes: Many nonprofit programmes are sponsored by community agencies such as church groups, labour unions, community centers, neighborhood houses and model cities. These programmes may be setup as full day care centers for working families or as half day enrichment programmes. These programmes serve children from infancy to the school age and these have a center based programmes as well as a system of daycare homes. Such programmes are found both in urban and rural areas and can serve both low income and middle income groups depending on how much support is provided by the sponsoring agency.
• Government sponsored programmes: ICDS is the government sponsored programme started in the year 1975 covering ECCE component. The basic functional unit of this scheme is the Angawadi serving children from birth to 6 years of age with nonformal preschool education component. It is a comprehensive child care programme to serve the children of low income families. Play schools are also serving as ECCE centers sponsored by UNICEF through the district primary education programme (DPEP).
• University sponsored programmes: Laboratory schools and daycare programmes are two types of programmes that can be found on university campus. The programmes are sponsored and subsidized by the university and they provide facilities for research, observation and teacher training. Campus schools may be full day or half a day.
• Private sponsored non-profit programmes: Recently large industries, hospitals and apartment complexes have included child care centers in their premises and are offering services for the children of the employees and residents .These nonprofit centers are set up for the comfort and convenience of the employees and residents. The timings are flexible and the fee is minimal to encourage full use of the available facilities.