Written by Fabiola Lara (Save the Children, BEC Early Childhood Education Working Group Co-Chair)
If there is anything that these past 20 months have taught us all it is to be flexible and nimble. That is exactly the approach that Save the Children took in a recent project entitled “Reducing the effects of toxic stress in young children on the move through positive parenting and resilience building in Iraq and Colombia” funded by the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM). The one-year project ended in September 2021 and was designed at the start of the pandemic when there was still so much uncertainty about what lay ahead. Given the focus on transient young children ages 0-5 years and their families, one question was clear – “How could they continue to be supported during COVID-19 social distancing measures and reduction of services?”.
Evidence points to the importance of the early childhood years and positive caregiver-child relationships, particularly in uncertain times. Opportunities for play, exploration, and bonding relationships between caregiver and children enable children to become resilient and better cope with frustration, fears, and worries they may experience later in life.[i] At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, children on the move were (and continue to be) at further risk of facing significant, negative impacts on their health, learning, wellbeing, and safety in addition to those they may already be facing from forced displacement.[ii] Added stresses on families, particularly during “stay at home orders” and quarantines, has led to increased cases of domestic violence.[iii]
As part of this project, two main technical approaches (Save the Children’s Resilience Building and Transformative Male Caregiving approaches) were adapted and implemented for conflict-sensitivity and responsiveness to the changing dynamics and needs of the intervention communities in Iraq and Colombia. Both approaches, first piloted in El Salvador, were adapted for delivery using WhatsApp (calls and group chats) as well as standard phone calls and SMS text messages. In Iraq, the approaches were implemented in Bardarash and Gawilan camps to access 500 Syrian refugee families and in Colombia, 360 Venezuelan migrant families living in informal settlements in La Guajira.
As part of the Resilience Building approach, primary caregivers (largely women, but some men as well) in both countries were convened in 12 virtual caregiver group sessions that covered topics spanning self-care, managing emotions, setting goals and routines, protecting children from harm, and bonding across various activities with children. For the Transformative Male Caregiving approach, men gathered in male-only groups for ten sessions that covered parallel topics as the Resilience Building approach but also focused on goal-setting and reinforcing positive behavior that supports individual and family wellbeing. In between sessions, caregivers shared audio, video, and photo footage in chat groups of their engagement with their co-parenting partners and children such as family activities, reflections, and achievements. Additionally, expectant, new, and long-time male caregivers received key messages and nudges via SMS messages on topics related to self-care, support to children, and support to co-parenting partners. Primary caregivers (both men and women) received activity kits with games to complete, together with their children, to reinforce positive and playful caregiver-child interactions.
Initially, Save the Children faced some challenges, in both Iraq and Colombia, during implementation as the majority of caregivers were not accustomed to using smartphone-based platforms or were using them for the first time. Once caregivers received support and became more familiar, other challenges emerged. Regular access to data network connection was not always guaranteed as constant movement of families and periods of limited- to no- communication (between staff and families) occurred. Additionally, men were initially not accustomed to convening in a support-group setting and therefore their participation was difficult to secure. In both contexts, Iraq and Colombia, men typically associated any support related to children and caregivers as exclusive to women and thus would often refer their wives or encourage them to attend.
Despite these setbacks, the project produced meaningful gains and garnered positive feedback from families. Though barriers to network connection persisted and families continued to move (and in some cases, return), both men and women regularly shared positive changes and the impact the project had on their own lives. In both Iraq and Colombia, men reported feeling closer to their children and observed positive changes in their children’s behavior now that they were more engaged in children’s lives, thanks to their participation in the sessions.
“I always depended on my wife to raise and tutor my children. I was the person they feared. After joining the transformative male caregiving sessions, I feel that I am now using my time more efficiently for my children. I have a closer relationship with them now and they are no longer afraid that I will beat them. Instead, they run to me when I arrive home. I see that my children feel happier and I have almost stopped smoking too.”
Men also reported that their motivation to continue participating in sessions was due to how critical it was for family unity. Project staff reported that men also naturally became a source of support to each other and would encourage other men within their group to keep participating and, in some cases, would show up to others’ homes (as restrictions allowed) to listen in on sessions together, which further reinforced their commitment to participating.
During group sessions, women shared that having a space to connect with other women allowed them to seek support outside of their families and find mutual encouragement from other women in similar circumstances. They also reported higher engagement from their husbands/partners in household tasks and responsibilities resulting in them feeling less stressed and more supported.
““I am now pregnant with my fourth child and my husband is a completely different person now than he was with our other three children. He is so attentive to my [individual] needs but also helps with the children, even does washing, cooking and other household chores.””
Through the feedback gathered from caregivers regarding the changes they were experiencing in their own lives throughout their participation, it is clear that this project and its approaches addressed critical needs of families on the move. Learnings from this project emphasize the need for adaptable, flexible delivery options to reach families during movement as well as the importance of addressing all caregivers, both men and women. The burden can no longer fall on one caregiver and strategies that directly address one caregiver while indirectly reaching the other fall short of addressing whole-family approaches that emphasize family harmony and commitment to wellbeing. The International Education industry needs to ensure that both men and women are equally supported because, in doing so, children and caregivers have the most to gain– leading to healthy, positive home environments that can mitigate stresses and adversity factors. More investment in the early years (especially as it relates to the intersectionality between gender, early learning, well-being and child protection) is critical, particularly for children and families in humanitarian and crisis settings. Program implementers need to make sure that these families continue to be supported and that innovative approaches address the dynamic nature of their situations.
[i] Bunce, Maureen; Rickards, Anna. 2004. Working with Bereaved Children: A Guide. Children’s Legal Centre
[ii] United Nations. Policy Brief: The Impact of COVID-19 on children. 15 April 2020. Retrieved from:
https://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/policy_brief_on_covid_impact_on_children_16_april_2020.pdf
[iii] Human Rights Watch (9 April 2020). COVID-19’s Devastating Impact on Children. Retrieved from: https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/04/09/covid-19s-devastatingimpact-children