Abstract:
The research aimed to explore and describe the experiences of child care workers in their role as educators at a place of safety, in order to gain a better understanding of what they see as their educational task and the difficulties they experience in executing this task. This qualitative case study was approached from the interpretative paradigm. Five child care workers were engaged in individual interviews and 5 others in a focus group discussion. According to the research results it seems that child care workers have a basic understanding of what education entails and show understanding for the needs of the children in their care. Nonetheless, some aspects were identified in which they need training and support. It also became clear that the way the institution was managed, left child care workers dissatisfied, which led to feelings of passivity, negativity, demotivation and a vengeful attitude.
