Caring for the caregiver

Fostering caregiver well-being to provide the best environments for young

By UNICEF / Pramitha Herath
Inoka (left) at the CFC ToT
UNICEF Sri Lanka
24 July 2024

Dr Enoka Wickramasinghe (50), Consultant Community Physician at the Health Promotion Bureau (HPB), Ministry of Health (MoH), Sri Lanka, is a public health specialist with a special interest in parenting and child health promotion. She was part of the recently concluded Caring for the Caregiver (CFC) Training of Trainers (ToT) conducted by UNICEF.

“I cannot stress enough the importance of focusing on the well-being of caregivers when designing early childhood development programmes,” says Enoka.

“Children depend on their caregivers to help them learn, develop, and thrive; healthy relationships with caregivers are vital to ensuring a young child’s brain development and mental and physical well-being. Therefore, from the moment a baby is born, parents, grandparents, or other caring adults play an important role in ensuring the child will grow and develop to his or her optimal potential,” Enoka explains.

“The carer needs to be in optimal capacity to be able to provide for the child. I have often seen instances where the mother lacks economic stability or endure an abusive environment. In situations such as these, the last thing on their mind is to provide for the child.”

“Research indicates that caregivers who receive better support at home show significantly higher emotional care towards the child, with lower chances of practicing harsh disciplinary measures. Therefore, supporting caregiver or parental well-being is crucial in developing positive caregiving practices and improving children's outcomes,” she emphasises.

Participants at the CFC ToT
UNICEF Sri Lanka
Participants at the CFC ToT

Parenting, while deeply rewarding, can also be a journey filled with challenges. The CFC program is an investment that addresses the barriers caregivers may face in providing for and nurturing each child’s unique needs.

In June, with support from the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP), UNICEF Sri Lanka launched the CFC ToT by introducing the CFC module to 40 healthcare workers and Early Childhood Care Development Officers (ECCD Officers), who will, in turn, train Public Health Midwives and ECCD Officers in the community. The module is designed to provide midwives and ECCD Officers with skills to support emotional well-being and increase the confidence of parents and caregivers, helping them take better care of themselves, cope with stress, and manage disagreements and disputes, thereby fostering a positive caregiving environment. By promoting self-care, family engagement, and social support, the CFC approach provides a supportive framework for parents and caregivers to take care of their well-being, thereby ensuring every child has the best start in life.

“It was a comprehensive training package, and the trainers exhibited immense experience in delivering it. However, we need to finetune it to adapt it to our local setting.”

“Further, I strongly recommend that prior to the roll-out of the programme at the community level, we need to develop the capacity of community midwives and ECCD Officers to take care of their psychological well-being; knowledge, awareness and practice of self-regulation and other self-care strategies are important before one is ready to support another. We must not forget that these community workers face difficult situations in their lives and work environments.”

Sri Lanka is the ninth country in the world to introduce the CFC concept and the first to phase in CFC at the national level. Sri Lanka will also be the first country to adopt the CFC model for disability inclusion.