Beliefs & Practices on Play in Serbia & Zambia

• In Event: Beliefs & Practices on Play in Serbia & Zambia

Proposal

This presentation will draw the implementation research on the scaling up of playful parenting programs in Bhutan and Rwanda. Parenting programs around the world rely on a diverse set of local actors to deliver messaging and support to caregivers of young children, with the goal of shifting norms and practices around parenting to include play and communication as a core and integral part of child development. In many parts of the world, parenting programs also work on changing traditional gender roles and engaging male caregivers (fathers, grandfathers, other relatives) in the work of raising a child from birth, alongside the mother. In Serbia and Zambia, two programs engaged two radically different types of frontline providers: health professionals (nurses) linked to the Ministry of Health in Serbia, and community-based health village-level volunteers linked to district health clinics in Zambia. The modalities of engaging parents also differ: in Serbia, the program added content on play and stimulation to existing visits from health professionals to families with newborns, focused most intensively on the first 15 days, while in Zambia the community based volunteers visit families with children 0-3 for a sequence of 7 sessions in their homes, covering a range of content, which includes play.
The presentation will draw on several data sources to draw parallels and distinctions between the two contexts. For the beliefs and practices of frontline providers of parenting services – such as village volunteers visiting families or paraprofessionals leading counseling sessions, the paper will draw on 1) provider surveys, administered twice a year to new cohorts of trained providers in each country, 2) knowledge of child development, as part of the survey, 3) in-depth interviews with providers, and 4) observations of sessions with parents, in which they engage families in discussions of play and communication. The surveys offer a glimpse into the routines of providers, with information on how many families they support, their levels of engagement, the resources and supervision they received, and their level of motivation. The observation data will show the level and quality of engagement of providers with caregivers, and the way that providers reinforce the importance of play and stimulation with young children.
For the beliefs and practices of caregivers, the paper will draw on caregiver surveys in each country, particularly around play and stimulation, as well as observation data on the caregiver and child interaction.

Authors

• Carina Omoeva, FHI 360

• Given Hapunda, Universty of Zambia

• Frances Aboud, McGill University

• Ksenija Krstic Baucal, University of Belgrade, Faculty of Philosophy

• Ania Chaluda, FHI 360