INSTITUTIONALIZED CHILD CARE IN URBAN SOUTH AFRICA

path.
• Pastor Mike and his staff strongly face the tension of nurturing independence or
providing for support for children as they age out. While this is a controversial
topic, it is hardly unique to this culture or setting.
• While the presence of religious influences is strong at 5Cees, it in many ways
reflects the experience that many children get in traditional household settings of
exposure but not coercion to religious beliefs.
One of my initial curiosities was how much the center would reflect the
expectations set by the existing literature regarding institutionalized childcare. Much of
the literature suggested that the reasons for children coming to such a setting would
extend far beyond parental death. This was definitely the case at 5Cees, and it would be
fair to say that many forms of diversity was one of the biggest things that stood out about
its population. There was diversity to be found in ethnic backgrounds of the children, and
all of South Africa’s national languages were represented at the center. There was
diversity apparent in the different personal histories of the children that I was able to
learn about. Some were orphans in the traditional sense of the word, others had one or
both parents alive. Another portion of the children were not entirely sure. There was
visible diversity in their needs, whether that be a specialized nutrition plan, special
education, antiretroviral regiments, or other physical concerns. While just about all the
children had experienced a personal trauma at some point, there was a wide degree of
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