The Conceptions of Shelter Educators on Development and Their Care Practices in Bathing Situations
Laiane da Silva Corrêa, Lília Iêda Chaves Cavalcante, Celina Maria Colino Magalh?es

Abstract
Researchers have demonstrated the necessity to study sheltering institutions for children, emphasizing the educators’ conception and its continuous interactions with the child. This study investigated the educators’ conceptions of development and their care practices in a sheltering institution for children. At first, 100 educators answered the Knowledge of Child Development Inventory (KIDI). Secondly, 10 of such educators were observed on their care routine during the bath. The data analyses show that personal and professional experience with children, more than level of education, may explain a better performance of the educators when their knowledge about infantile development was measured and in the quality of their care practices. It was verified that the level of knowledge on development is a relevant variable to the quality of the interactions and care offered along with hygiene and health, as well as the experience to deal with aggregated children in their private and professional affairs. In these conditions, the children were more stimulated, guided, and taught by the educators, which is essential for the promotion of child health.

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