For many social workers, this is a big challenge – how to help parents of babies who need support? How to help underage parents, mothers with postpartum depression or a parent who is raising a baby alone and has no one to look after it during classes? What to offer if a parent is not suited for theoretical training but lacks basic skills?
Ten years ago, Dardedze Centre established and started running ‘Guardian Angel’ parent educational support groups – classes that parents attend with their children up to 2 years of age, not only strengthening the necessary skills, but also experiencing an accepting and supportive treatment. We are currently offering this content to you as well.
The training course is intended for social workers, psychologists, educators, and upon its completion, the specialist can independently lead a training and support group for parents.
Briefly about the programme
When a child joins the family, nothing is as it used to be. It is even more difficult if there is a lack of peer support both during pregnancy and once the baby is born. New parents need knowledge and skills in caring for a child, an understanding of the baby’s needs, as well as their own feelings.
The purpose of the group is to help young families by providing support to skilfully care for and raise the baby from birth to two years of age. These groups are especially useful for:
- parents who themselves have not always felt enough love and care from their parents;
- parents who lack peer support in the day-to-day care of the baby;
- teenage parents;
- mothers with postpartum depression;
- a parent raising his/her baby alone.
The programme covers the following topics:
- Child development from birth to 2 years of age
- Promoting positive attachment
- Baby feeding
- Playing from birth to 2 years of age
- Emotions. How to calm down a crying baby?
- Baby hygiene and bathing
- Teething and dental care
- Baby’s daily routine, sleep, getting them to sleep
- Discipline or setting boundaries
- Child safety
- Self-care (stress, postpartum depression)
- Body control, potty training
- Pregnancy planning, choice of contraceptive methods
- Family relationships
The group not only allows you to acquire important knowledge and skills, but also to experience accepting and supportive relationships – to meet other parents, to exchange experiences, to celebrate the important holidays of the year together, and to create positive childhood memories for your children.
Participants of the training group follow the programme, receiving both the necessary theoretical material and practical skills, while running their own parent groups. Group leadership is a mandatory part of the training course – all group members lead them in pairs, which are established during the first lesson after meeting and getting to know each other.
Participants of the training course, who have attended 90 % of the classes and successfully passed the final exam, receive a certificate authorising them to lead the parent group ‘Guardian Angel’. The certificate is issued for full participation in the group (the participant is present – visible, audible and ready to get involved). If the participant does not participate in the training process (does not participate in work groups, does not respond to questions, etc.), we reserve the right not to issue a certificate.
Course duration: 7 lessons (6 academic hours each)
Cost: 439 euros
Venue: ZOOM platform
To apply, please e-mail us at apmacibas@centrsdardedze.lv.