Category: News

Atnaf Berhanu, ICDP trainer living in Norway, visited Ethiopia over a period of two months (February and March 2024), during which time she undertook several ICDP activities in different parts of the country, as described below. Her plan is to travel to Ethiopia again in June to continue to conduct ICDP facilitator level trainings and to hold a couple of awareness raising workshops.

Wolayeta Sodo 

An ICDP certification workshop concluded the training of a group of 14 facilitators who had carried out their obligatory tasks in 2023. This group came from 7 of the Ethiopia Full Gospel Churches in Wolayta Sodo. They were very glad to be part of a small certification ceremony to receive their ICDP diplomas. 

The facilitators worked in pairs and they delivered the ICDP programme to 98 parents and 253 children. During the training the parents exchanged many useful experiences, sharing about different ways of supporting their children. They put a special focus on positive ways of setting limits. After the training some parents said that, because of their participation in the ICDP programme they now feel that it is they and not their children who need to change!

There was a special case of a mother that is worth mentioning – it is a story of a mother who told the group how she used to have frequent conflicts with her son and how at some point he threatened to kill her. She had at that point lost all hope of being able to help her son. But after she attended the ICDP training she realized that she needed to change her approach towards him. When she got home, she talked with her son and apologised for the way she had treated him. She explained that her behaviour was due to her own lack of understanding of the situation. She reassured him that she loves him dearly. Gradually her son felt appreciated and started to behave well and eventually he became cooperative and helpful.

Two pairs of facilitators rolled out the programme to parents who attend church on two separate occasions, each time conducting 8 meetings with parents. The parents were happy to share with the congregation about their ICDP experiences, and they explained how the training helped them understand and raise better their children. They received their ICDP certificates after the Sunday service.

Shashemene Town

During 2023, Atnaf had been training groups of facilitators in the Western Arsi region EFGC. During her visit to Ethiopia in March 2024, she was able to conclude the training of those facilitators who had finished running ICDP parent groups. A total of 66 parents and 188 children participated in the ICDP programme. Two groups of facilitators were given their diplomas, but others are now continuing their ICDP work with parents. Some of the facilitators were unable finish all the 8 meetings with parents, due to being engaged in too many activities in their areas, but they all promised to continue with the parent groups and complete the delivery of the ICDP course.

Facilitators reported that the ICDP courses for parents were successful, because they saw how the attitude of parents towards their children during the training had changed for the better. Parents were keen to share about their experiences illustrating how their communication with their children had improved and how their children started to feel happy, because of the training.

Addis Abeba

In Addis Abeba, trainee facilitators embarked on their ICDP course in November 2023 and then later attended the second part of the training in February 2024. All participants had brought films illustrating their interactions with their children – that was their home task which they carried this out in the period from end of November 2023 till March 2024. Many of the participants said they had learned a lot from their experience of putting ICDP guidelines into practice, which they also said helped them to establish good relationships with their own children.

All participants received the newly translated manual in Amharic. Some of the facilitators have already started to roll out ICDP to groups of parents.

Workshop for mothers

A group of mothers approached Atnaf to ask whether she could give them a one-day introductory workshop on ICDP. She agreed to conduct sessions on some of the key topics. The mothers became very interested in exploring how parents’ conceptions of their children affect their own interactions with them. They had a lively group discussion and concluded about the importance of this topic and its relevance to many parents. They were divided into small groups and shared about their own experiences with children. The workshop sessions were held on working days and this prevented many parents of smaller children to attend. Therefore, they asked Atnaf to hold sessions on Saturdays or Sundays in future.

Creating awareness

During her stay in Ethiopia, Atnaf conducted several consciousness raising workshops for leaders of the Amanuel Hebret organization. As a result of creating awareness about the purpose of the ICDP programme, this group of leaders became interested in applying ICDP through their churches and asked for facilitator level training to be arranged. It was agreed to start with the ICDP training in June 2024, in the Adama area.

March 2024: The latest ICDP project in Bangladesh represents cooperation between the ICDP team operating under Normisjon and UNICEF. It is a large-scale project, in which UNICEF is providing resources, as well as personnel to be trained in the ICDP programme. In addition, they produced and published a locally adapted pack of ICDP materials that will ease the implementation of the programme, envisaged to be applied by hundreds of future facilitators.

The ICDP activities were inaugurated with a ceremony in Dhaka, which was attended by the Norwegian ambassador. The ICDP trainers started to roll out the first phase of the project by conducting workshops for future facilitators with three different groups. One hundred and six participants attended the workshops and they were selected from a project linked to the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs (MoWCA).

ICDP in Bangladesh counts with a good team of trainers, some with years of experience and a few who finalized their training in 2023. Bobby Sajeda, is the trainer of trainers, as well as overall project coordinator and she keeps in touch with Nicoletta Armstrong who has been involved in forming the ICDP team. Bobby shared her impressions: “We had a great time together with the participants. The interest was high. All presented their home tasks digitally. Everyone shared their personal stories and we learned of many positive experiences with their children. Thank you for your kind support for this project. We hope through this work with UNICEF we will be able to benefit thousands of children in Bangladesh. I share some photos from the inauguration program in three different divisions.”

The Danish Centre for ICDP has produced their annual report which shows continued growth and application of the ICDP programme in different settings. A total of 697 new professionals were trained, mostly at level one and two. Read their full report here.

Extracts from the report:

The year 2023 has generally been stable, with us consolidating the new management structure and working to future-proof ICDP’s importance in the educational landscape in Denmark. In relation to our development plans for 2023, we have reached the goal: We have certified the first Danish school in ICDP; published a booklet on ICDP and the Children’s Convention, as well as published a book on ICDP and Management.

Certification of organizations: We have fully developed a certification of organizations. The certification consists of a free online test – an assessment by our certification committee – a consultant visit and an agreement on an implementation and action plan. It has been important to us that the certification process was thorough, but also easy to access and was experienced as meaningful in the organization. The feedback we have received is that the test strengthens our own reflection and the visit from the certification consultant ensures that the management sees blind spots in the organization that stand in the way of a successful implementation of ICDP. Moelleholmskolen by Per Hovmand is the first certificated School in Denmark. The photo above shows Per Hovmand at the Nordic ICDP conference in Oslo, September 2023- where he talked about the school’s work with ICDP. By his side is Anne and Jens Linder, sister and brother, Leaders of the Danish Center for ICDP.

Challenges in the past year
As can be read from the report, we have many successful development projects in the Danish Center for ICDP. We try to use our extensive know-how and expertise to develop the ICDP implementation. Although we have used many resources, we have not yet succeeded in creating a successful use of the online parenting platform. We are still working towards finding ways and means to draw attention to our offer to Danish parents. On our platform, we offer guidance, information, and courses for parents. During 2024, we will consider various measures – perhaps a fund application.
The municipalities – which are our biggest partners – are currently squeezed in the financial field, which of course also has a knock-on effect on how many ICDP products they can buy within their limited budgets, but we are hopeful and expect 2024 to be another year where ICDP creates new good development and
learning environments for Denmark’s children.

ICDP newsletter November 2023 issue is now available, bringing updates from a number of our partners around the world.

In July 2023, ICDP foundation signed a partnership agreement with the Nexus organization in Thailand. Through the application of the ICDP programme in the country, Nexus “aims to offer much needed resources to parents and caregivers at all levels of society, as well as among minority and marginalized ethnic groups living in Thailand.” ICDP it is hoped will help alleviate some of the hardships met by families. In Thailand, domestic violence is on the rise. One survey showed that 75 percent of women in Thailand have experienced domestic violence more than once (Thai PBS, 2023). Many children are placed in children’s homes, even though they have living parents. This is because parents, for various reasons, are unable to care for their own children – this could be due to poverty, alcohol addictions, lack of resources, mental health issues, or when parents remarry children become unwanted by the new spouse.

In February, 2023, the first group of 13 facilitators (on photo above) received their ICDP certificates. Most of the facilitators continued to run ICDP courses for parents during the year. At the same tine a second group of facilitators embarked on their training which will be completed by the end of the year.

An ICDP committee was established, and efforts were made to start network with other local organizations. Throughout the year, a great deal of work was also carried out on preparing local ICDP materials.

ICDP is very active in the department of Boyacá, where facilitators continue to roll out the ICDP programme to parents in many parts of the department. Families have recently been trained in 23 municipalities, each facilitator on average trained 12 new families, for a total of 345 families.

ICDP has also reached families n the department of Santander – see photo report.

The Changing Children’s Worlds Foundation has adopted a new state-wide strategy to expand and build sustainability for the “ICDP: Best Start for Families-A Health Equity Approach in Illinois.

The Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois (LCFS) will launch the Best Start for Families to support more families involved with the Child Welfare system.   This experiential training model provides families with the necessary motivation, tools and skills to navigate the challenges of parenting successfully.  

In parallel, the LCFS “Best Start for Families” Department will continue its commitment to partnering with schools, community organizations, jails and other agencies serving families and children.

The “Best Start for Families-A Health Equity Approach” curriculum is based on the International Child Development Program (ICDP), an internationally tested and supported psycho-social approach to strengthening adult caregiver/parent-child relationships. It is recognized as an Effective Practice by the Centre for Disease Control (CDC).

“Best Start for Families starts with the training of professional resource persons within institutions and communities who serve families,” explained Kimberly Svevo, Ph.D., Department Director at LCFS. “Its comprehensive parent learning group curriculum equips parents with a deep understanding of what they and their children need to thrive, as well as effective parenting techniques, communication strategies, and problem-solving skills, which strengthen and bring joy to family relationships.”

The program offers a range of services for caregivers, youth and children, including individual coaching, weekly group sessions, and workshops. By providing parents with the tools they need to foster healthy relationships and create supportive home environments, LCFS strives to strengthen families and promote positive long-term outcomes for children.

“The Best Start for Families program felt like a natural fit for us,” said Mike Bertrand, President & CEO at LCFS. “It allows us to not only meet a significant need of the families we currently serve through our foster care program, but also aligns with our organization’s strategic direction of providing more preventative services to families within our local communities before things get bad.”

By extending their expertise beyond foster care and their other DCFS-funded services, LCFS takes proactive steps to support families, preventing crises and creating stronger foundations for children’s well-being.

Already, LCFS has made tremendous strides in delivering parenting training to families in need by utilizing the Best Start for Families program. The organization is currently successfully serving nearly 50 parents in their foster care program and previously on a parenting class waiting list, underlining their commitment to ensuring access to vital resources and support.

LCFS is also excited to offer to train others in this effective model. By equipping social work and mental health professionals, educators, home visitors, childcare providers, nurses, community leaders, and all who work directly with parents and children, LCFS aims to create a ripple effect of positive change in the lives of families.

For more information about Best Start for Families and LCFS’s mission to nurture and strengthen children and families in need, visit www.LCFS.org.

ABOUT LUTHERAN CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES OF ILLINOIS (LCFS)

Lutheran Children and Family Services of Illinois (LCFS) is a non-profit dedicated to nurturing and strengthening children and families in need. After 150 years, LCFS has grown into one of the largest community-based child welfare agencies in Illinois. LCFS has regional sites in the Chicagoland area, Belleville, Decatur, Joliet, Kankakee, Mt. Vernon, Oak Brook, Oakbrook Terrace, Quincy and Springfield. For more information, visit www.lcfs.org.

Three Ukrainian psychologists, Maria Bingol, Viktoria Sidorenko and Larysa Konarska, attended a trauma conference in Antalya, Turkey, which took place 2-5^th of November 2023. The conference was the 5th Mediterranean Regional conference – Link to conference site: https://www.iagptraumadisasterconferenceantalya.org/  It was organized by the International Association for Group Psychotherapy and Group Processes (IAGP). The organizors received support from the Muratpaşa Antalya municipality.

The chair of the local organizing committee was Caner Bingol, founder of the Dr Ali Baboglu Jungian Psychodrama and Public Mental Health Institute. One of the aims of this institute is to implement ICDP and train others in the ICDP programme and for that purpose it has recently signed a partnership agreement with the ICDP international foundation.

The three psychologists first presented ICDP and afterwards conducted a workshop for participants from USA, Turkey and Ukraine. Read the report by Viktoria and Larysa.

“Many participants showed interest after our presentation, and we talked about ICDP with quite a few, including professionals from Italy, Australia, Georgia, Lebanon and Kurdistan. A psychotherapist couple seemed very interest to start using ICDP at their own therapy centre. It was a very good experience and exciting to present ICDP at this platform. Especially meaningful and touching was to present our ICDP work in the context of war trauma in Ukraine. This was not the first time that I presented the ICDP perspective in such a context. It is a painful topic since trauma in Ukraine is an ongoing daily feature of people’s lives. In our workshop we showed ways to work within this kind of context, when traumatic events are not stopping and therefore it is extremely difficult for people to find emotional stability. We demonstrated how ICDP creates a possibility for parents to receive support and find relief through the application of the emotional and mediational dialogues. This in fact has been my experience after working with children and adults from military families involved in the war in Ukraine. Karsten Hundeide’s “Essays on war traumas, adaptations and rehabilitation” has been amazingly helpful in our work in this area.“ – Maria Bingol.

ICDP is continuing to develop in Ethiopia thanks to the efforts of ICDP trainer, Atnaf Berhanu. Atnaf spent six weeks in Addis Ababa during the autumn of 2023.

During this time, she conducted ICDP facilitator level training for a new group and she also held a workshop aimed at raising awareness about the programme.

She has also been working on producing a new and better translation of the ICDP material for use in Ethiopia, as the previous translation of the handbook proved not to be good enough. As soon as funding is secured, she hopes to have the new ICDP material printed.

Read brief report from Atnaf.

From the report by Rita Crecelius:

For 5 years now, I have been trying to establish the ICDP programme in the field of health care for professional caregivers in Germany, particularly focusing on daycares, nurseries and institutions for people with special needs.

During this year, the ICDP approach had a better reception than before. I think this is because most of the institutions in the country seem to be facing health problems. Issues such as shortage of staff, high sickness rates and more bureaucratic duties than ever, are generating high stress levels in caregivers, and that is negatively affecting their relationships with the recipients of their care. Consequently, children are showing more behavioural problems. The rates of depression, panic symptoms and suicide among children are on the increase. There is a growing awareness, that children’s health and wellbeing depend on the resilience of their caregivers, a notion that is also at the core of ICDP intervention: to strengthen caregivers experiencing difficulties. Some of my ICDP activities in 2023:

ICDP in daycares which had already been involved in ICDP training:

1. In the St. Thomas daycare in Hildesheim, which is the first daycare where I trained staff members in ICDP, I conducted a refresher programme to strengthen their application of the ICDP relational approach. They are always very grateful for staying in touch with the ICDP wisdom. Together, we had a wonderful start in 2023, we made a circle of appreciation for keeping children safe, secure, soothed and seen (D. Siegel) in difficult times.

2. In the Kinderhaus FrechDaxe in Braunschweig, (a daycare of Impuls Soziales Management), the training of 50 FrechDaxe staff members, started in February, albeit with a small delay due to financial problems. This was the training of the first of five teams, and by the end of August two more teams followed, and the remaining two teams will be starting their training in ICDP in January 2024. Over a period of 5 sessions, each team is given the opportunity to practice their skills in video analysis and drawing interaction profiles. After this phase of instruction, the teams should be able to supervise each other in reflecting on their daily interactions from the point of view of the 8 ICDP guidelines. All daycare workers, who had done the training in 2021, reported that they were happy to be back in the ICDP world. They said that ICDP had always accompanied them and that they still enjoy the benefit of applying the guidelines, especially when working with very young children during their adjustment phase.

Read here the full report.