Children care through alternative forms myths and realities!! Dr. Dayanandan R. Professor, Hawassa University Online published on 2 September, 2019. Abstract Children are to be considered as vital human resource and future pillars of any economy. Globally, the current trends of child care practice shows alternative child care as form of community based care, foster care, and kinship care is increasing in developing countries. Whereas, institutional care, inter country adoption and group home care is not becoming preferable. However, in Ethiopia the practice has been maintained in same order. With this insight, this paper focus on assessing the current practices and challenges of other forms of alternative child care, knowledge gaps of care givers, and factors determining well-functioning of the program in the study area. Methodologically, the research employed quantitative research paradigm. Primary data was collected through interview schedule from 80 care givers, focus group discussion, and key informant interview, and supplemented with secondary data sources. Purposive sampling method was employed to select the study area and participants from all SOS children's village program locations. Collected data was analysed with SPSS (version 21) and descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviation were used for analysis to arrive the meaningful results. In addition, binary logistic regression model was used to trace out the influential factors of well functioning of the programme. The results revealed that, practice of partnership with stakeholders and working in collaboration with the local community, child participation, practice of reintegration and reunification activities, ensuring the best interest of the child were found not satisfactory. Whereas, residential instability of care givers, implementation of guideline, provision of quality health care, promoting local adoption and guardianship, absence of income generating activities for care givers, care givers selection guideline are found high challenges in the study area. Also, care givers lacks knowledge of parenting style, child rights convention, and child protection polices due to lack of training and their educational level. The regression results found that educational level, health problem, food allowance, CBOs participation, community participation, medical service and dependency ratio has significant relationship well-functioning of the program in the study area. On the basis of the findings recommendations are forwarded to strengthen the programme. Top Keywords Alternative Child Care, Practice, Challenges, . Top |