Community-run Preschool Centres - Chile

CEANIM's central strategy is the participation of mothers in the development, administration, and organisation of the centres. The mothers (pobladoras, or women from the poor barrios) attended workshops to learn about socialisation, health, hygiene, and nutrition. In exchange for their children's education, mothers gave one period of duty per week (participated in teaching the children) and brought in cleaning supplies once a month.

Each centre was developed in three stages. During the first year, CEANIM set up the centre and ensured its basic functioning. During the second year, mothers and the community as a whole taught at and ran the centre, as preparation for operating the centre themselves. CEANIM provided human and material resources. In the third stage, the centre functioned autonomously, with occasional help from CEANIM to solve specific problems.

Education, Children, Women, Economic Development, Health, Nutrition, Community Participation.

Organisers point out that preschool education and child-care development are rare in poor and marginal areas in Chile; government-funded programmes have limited capacity and privately-run programmes are out of reach for people living in poor communities.

In response, CEANIM designed a model based on alternative theories of preschool education developed during the 1960s. The model was meant to be useful to government agencies, NGOs, and other organisations involved in preschool education and child care in poor communities.

Since CEANIM was established in 1979, 10,000 children and 6,800 mothers have participated in the programme; 21 preschool centres now exist. In 1996, 1,117 disadvantaged children attended preschool centres run by 802 trained mothers. The success of the programme in Santiago province motivated the development of two new centres in the provinces of Talca, Curicó, and Melipilla. An evaluation model was developed to assess these preschool programmes. Research found that the women's confidence increased by their participation in these centres. The quality of the children's education was improved when mothers were involved, and the children's verbal communication and gross motor skills also improved. Specifically, 80% of the children fall within the "Normal" range during testing for gross motor skill development, nutrition, and school attendance.