Update by Rita Crecelius
The first group of ICDP facilitators received their certificates on Sunday, 24th of August, 2025. They came from different organizations involved in the care of children and adults, and all participants carried out their field work with great enthusiasm and commitment.
During the last workshop, every single facilitator’s presentation revealed a precious journey of empowerment and sensitization through the ICDP process. The facilitators felt touched by the many golden moments they had experienced while applying the eight ICDP guidelines for good interaction within a caregiving context, whether with children or with adults. One facilitator implemented the ICDP programme with a group of eight parents (seven mothers and one father). He wrote the following summary:
All participating parents did primarily reflect on their own attitudes and self-perception. (…) Parents described truly noticeable shifts in the quality of their relationship with their children. Several reported touching feedback from the children, who noticed changes in their parents’ behavior toward them that made them feel more at ease and emotionally supported. (…) A sense of trust emerged among the participants and in their relationship with me as the facilitator. One participant described how, in the moment of interaction (with her child), she sensed the presence of the entire group in her mind, helping her mastering the situation. (…) The atmosphere of the parent meetings was warm and familiar, and they became a routine for every participant who gladly integrated them into their daily routines even though it seemed so busy. It felt like a breath of fresh air from the busy day, shared in a circle of trust.
– J. Blume, Berlin.
The implementation of ICDP in Germany is being led by psychologist Rita Crecelius. She is supported by the Lower Saxony Institute for Early Childhood Education and Development (nifbe) and AEWB, the Agency for Adult and Continuing Education in Lower Saxony. The next facilitator level training will start in February 2026.