In accordance with evidence from the Lancet and UNICEF recommendations on Early Childhood Development and Nurturing Care, preventive support for caregiver health and emotional well-being is key to optimal child development. Yet there is currently very little support for caregiver emotional well-being in resource-constrained low- and middle-income countries. In order to tackle this issue, UNICEF is developing a Caring for the Caregiver (CFC) training module.
The CFC module aims to build front-line workers’ skills in strengths-based counselling to increase caregivers’ confidence and help them develop stress management, self-care and conflict-resolution skills to support their emotional well-being. The prototype version of the module consists of three core manuals to guide the training and implementation process. This prototype is currently being validated in eight countries through implementation research. A final version of the module will be ready in 2021.
This resource aims to provide evidence-based messages, practical guidance, case studies and resources that can be used to promote parents’ and caregivers’ mental health, with a focus on adolescent caregivers.
