Against a backdrop of almost 13 million cases of COVID-19, an urgent global priority must be the mental health of children, who make up 42% of our world’s population. Children have witnessed the devastating rates of infection and death, restrictions on their day to day life, and preoccupation of their parents and communities about the implications of the pandemic. So … [Read more...] about Protecting the Mental Health of Children during the COVID-19 Pandemic (and beyond). Communication is Key.
Family and Children
Emergency Child Care: Issues to Consider
The demand for child care in low in middle-income countries has been growing over the last few years. Fueled by the increasing number of working women and migration from rural areas to urban centers, the drumbeat for child care support around the world has grown. The recent pandemic has raised new and complicated pressures on a child care system that was already under-resourced … [Read more...] about Emergency Child Care: Issues to Consider
Playful learning for families: the Jamaican home visiting model going to scale…in Jamaica!
The Jamaican Home Visiting intervention strengthens parents’ abilities to use responsive interactions and play to help their children develop well. The intervention has substantial benefits to children’s development and is the first early childhood stimulation program in low and middle-income countries to show long term benefits of play for adult education, income, and … [Read more...] about Playful learning for families: the Jamaican home visiting model going to scale…in Jamaica!
Can we really change parenting behavior?
This question has been on our minds as we analyze the effects of a recent home visit program implemented by the Nicaraguan government (results forthcoming, stay tuned!). The Nicaraguan intervention, like most home visit programs, targets children’s first and arguably most important teachers: their parents. The curriculum aims to strengthen parents’ knowledge of early childhood … [Read more...] about Can we really change parenting behavior?
Serve and Return: How to Build a Child’s Brain in 5 Easy Steps
Have you ever smiled back at a giggling baby or played peek-a-boo with a toddler? Did you know you were helping build connections in that child’s developing brain? At the Center on the Developing Child, we call these responsive interactions “serve and return” because they go back and forth—like players with a ball in a game of tennis or volleyball. … [Read more...] about Serve and Return: How to Build a Child’s Brain in 5 Easy Steps