MIDES, UNICEF and CAF present three “Guides of care practices” that strengthen positive parenting and early childhood learning and development of boys and girls in Panama

The Ministry of Social Development, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF) presented the three community and family modality guides, which will contribute to the strengthening of practices care, positive parenting and early childhood learning and development of boys and girls from 0 to 47 months of age in Panama.

 

The guides are organized by age groups: 0 to 18 months, 19 to 30 months and 31 to 47 months of age.

 

In each guide there are 20 play-based activities to carry out or stimulate the physical, social, emotional and cognitive areas, with the active participation of caregivers and children.

 

The activities that were included in each of the three guides were designed to be implemented with accessible and low-cost materials, so that mothers, fathers and caregivers improve bonding and secure attachment, through positive interactions and loving care. and sensitive, which will be led by community personnel who work in early childhood services in community and/or family contexts. 

 

For the Minister of MIDES, María Inés Castillo, the “Care Practice Guides” will improve the quality of initial education services for boys and girls from 0 to 4 years old in Panama.

 

“The best investment we can make as a country is in early childhood. These guides that we prepared, together with UNICEF and CAF, will strengthen the coverage of early childhood care and attention in areas of difficult access or greater vulnerability within the national territory,” Minister Castillo said.

 

Meanwhile, the National Director of Social Protection Services of MIDES, Antonio Ureña, explained that these guides will benefit all boys and girls and their families who are part of the Community, Family and Flexible Modalities.

 

“The ‘Care Practice Guides’ will be functional for the work carried out by promoters in different areas of the country,” Ureña said.

 

For her part, the Early Development Officer of Preschool Education at UNICEF Panama, Johana Amaya Pinzón, highlighted that the guides are the result of a strengthening process that has been taking place at MIDES, to implement early childhood public policy.