www.ijird.com November, 2014 Vol 3 Issue 11 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INNOVATIVE RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT Page 236 Coping Strategies of Child-Headed Households in Bindura Urban of Zimbabwe 1. Introduction Child headed household is a new phenomenon in many societies, mainly because in the past there were institutions like the extended family that took care of the orphaned children. The child headed family is defined as a family that is led by a child who is below the age of 18 years and who has assumed parental responsibilities. These households more often than not lack the capacity to adequately provide for the children forming part of the household; children living in child-headed households are extremely vulnerable to abuse as well as to economic and sexual exploitation (Progress for children, 2009). It is estimated that more than 80% of all child-headed households are located in Sub-Saharan Africa (Mbugua, 2007). A parent may be present in the home but unable to assume any responsibilities due to illness, disability, and so on (International HIV/AIDS Alliance-Family Health International, 2005). A child has the right to be raised in a manner which provides him with the best possible development of his personality. There is a global consensus that this upbringing is (in principle) the primary responsibility of the child‟s parents. This phenomenon was first noted in the Rekai district in Uganda in the late 1980s. Before this period, it was assumed that there was nothing called child-headed households (Foster and Mafuka, 1992). Scant research has been carried out into the causes, extent, nature and circumstances of this phenomenon (Meintjes, 2010). When information is available, it is often based on small-scale research projects and on anecdotal evidence (Bequele, 2006). It was generally assumed that orphaned children would be easily looked after within the extended family structures. The structures act as the social security system, protecting the vulnerable members of the community, giving care for the poor and the sick, and transmitting the traditional values. Due to the advent of HIV and AIDS scourge, child headed families is fast becoming a reality and a permanent feature of society. Relatives and neighbours used to provide safety nets for the vulnerable groups by providing care, but since the beginning of the twenty first century, the breakdown of those social networks expose the children to the vagrants of the harsh socio-economic and political environment. In the past three decades, the safety nets structured around kinship relations have undergone significant changes as a result of the growing number of terminally ill adults and orphaned children in countries with high HIV/AIDS prevalence. In Zimbabwe, recent estimations have shown how the availability of caregivers for orphans (grandparents, aunts, uncles and older siblings) will be significantly reduced in the near future ISSN 2278 – 0211 (Online) Jeffrey Kurebwa Bindura University of Science Education, Bindura, Zimbabwe Nyasha Yvonne Gatsi Kurebwa Women‟s University in Africa, Harare, Zimbabwe Abstract: An in-depth study of coping strategies of child-headed households was carried out in Bindura Urban of Zimbabwe. In-depth interviews and the survey method were used to examine the daily lives and coping methods of child-headed households. Data were gathered from child-headed households, community care givers, social workers and members of the community. The research identified a number of causes and challenges that were being faced by household heads. A number of coping mechanisms both positive and negative were employed by household heads in response to the challenges they were facing. The challenges included role adjustment, emotional and social distress, and sexual exploitation, lack of education and schooling and lack of adult care and support. The coping mechanisms identified included selling of family property, assistance from children’s organizations, community members and dropping from school early. The research concludes that the challenges identified by household heads were essentially basic material needs. The formation of child-headed households is unavoidable and should be supported with appropriate support where possible. The study demonstrated that households were receiving regular visits and small amounts of material support from the extended family. It recommends that HIV and AIDS patients should receive adequate treatment, need for investment in financial and human resources and legal recognition of child-headed households. Keywords: child-headed households, coping strategies, households, role adjustment, HIV and AIDS