The purpose of this study was to identify local knowledge and practices of, and barriers to, the homemanagement of childhood diarrhoea in a poor periurban district of the Dominican Republic. In total,582 caregivers of children aged five years and younger were interviewed using a structuredquestionnaire. Forty-six percent of the caregivers reported that one of their children had experienceddiarrhoea within the last month. There was high reported use of ORS and knowledge of its preparationand principal function. However, there were many obstacles to its use. Other concerns included highrates of dietary restrictions during diarrhoea, positive view of the use of antibiotics, poor knowledgeof preparation of sugar-salt solutions, and low attention given to clinical indicators as reasons forseeking professional treatment. Health-promotion efforts should target these areas of concerns tofurther improve the management of childhood diarrhoea in this district.