On Sunday, ECEC (Early Childhood Education Centre) Nepal, the organisation responsible for introducing ICDP (International Child Development Programme) organised a network meeting on Child Development and Parenting in Nepal. ICDP, designed in Norway more than three decades ago, was first introduced to Nepal in 2014. ICDP’s objective is to increase the psycho-social wellbeing of children through improved parent-child communication. ICDP’s training is designed to sensitise and build competence and confidence in parents and those responsible for providing child care. This, the programme believes, is crucial so that children grow up in an environment in which they feel safe, respected, and understood.

Representatives from several INGOs attended the ECEC-organised network meeting. During the event, representatives from Save the Children and SOS Children’s Village Nepal gave presentations and shared their experiences of incorporating ICDP into their work.

Bishwa Pun, Project Manager at Save the Children and a social protection expert, shared that in 2017, her organisation collaborated with ECEC Nepal to provide 20 people with ICDP training. In 2018, these facilitators conducted caregivers meetings.

“Since then, we have been training facilitators every year and these facilitators conduct caregivers meetings in their respective communities,” said Pun. “The research that we have conducted in the last few years show improved mental well being among caregivers [those who attended caregivers meetings] and their children.”

Nabin Bajracharya, Director of Programme at SOS Children’s Village Nepal, also highlighted how trained ICDP facilitators have been training his organisation's caregivers since 2018. “So far, 92 caregivers from SOS Children’s Village Nepal have already received caregivers training,” he said.

Speaking at the event, Heidi Westborg Steel, chairperson of ICDP Norway, shared that ICDP training provides caregivers with the tools that enhance their skills so that the children they care for develop holistically.

“Every child deserves to be raised in a safe and loving environment, and ICDP’s goal is to give caregivers the knowledge to do just that,” said Steel.