Implementation ICS uses a multitude of strategies to implement skillful parenting in Cambodia.

Skillful Parenting is implemented by ICS itself in the communities and in close collaboration with local NGOs & CBOs, the Royal Government of Cambodia and other stakeholders. A crucial factor in the success of the program is the quality of facilitation, so ICS provides training of facilitators throughout Cambodia to effectively deliver the skillful parenting program in their communities. Organizations that are interested to integrate skillful parenting in their programs can contact ICS about this training service. ICS seeks partnerships with key actors on parenting in Cambodia to ensure knowledge on Skillful parenting becomes embedded in Cambodian society on the long-term.

CAMBODIA SKILLFUL PARENTING PREVENTION OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN & CHILDREN

Parenting and Childhood are strongly inuenced by culture, history and other contextual factors, so the ICS skillful parenting method does not preach the best way to parenting. It does not want to tell parents this is how you have to do it but rather wants to help parents in their task of raising children in a pluralistic and changing society by providing them with the knowledge and skills to choose what works best for them and their family. The program specically and unequivocally recognizes and respects each parents right to set his/her own norms and standards to raise their own children in the way that is appropriate for them.

These strategies are constantly evolving as ICS is always looking for new innovative partnerships and opportunities to reach out to more parents with skillful parenting in (and outside) of Cambodia.

For more information:

Arjen Laan Maaike Stolte

Country Director
D-19 Angkor Shopping Arcade, National Road No.6, Siem Reap Province, Cambodia Ofce: + (855) (0)63 763 528 Fax: +855 (0)63 763 529 Mobile: +855 (0)92 225 275 E-mail: arjen.laan@icsasia.org Skype: arjen.laan71

ICS Program Manager

Smallepad 32 3811 MG Amersfoort The Netherlands Ofce:+ 31 33 303 0250 Mobile:+ 316 42 40 26 04 E-mail: maaike.stolte@ics.nl Skype: maaike.stolte

Check our website for all our activities: www.ics.nl

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CAMBODIA - SKILLFUL PARENTING

ICS (Investing in Children and their Societies) strives towards a better future for children in rural Africa and Asia. Through its projects and programs, it builds on a sustainable growth in welfare and wellbeing by simultaneously investing in economic and social opportunities and needs. The central building blocks of the work of ICS are social business, child protection and skillful parenting. Skillful Parenting ICS changes the lives of children living in poor rural areas by enhancing the parental skills of their caregivers. Following the recommendations of a UN study on violence against children (Pinheiro, P.S., The United Nations Study on Violence against Children, 2006, Geneva), ICS believes that parents need to feel the Power to Parent to change the future of their children in a positive way. By working with them on how to become a better parent, the Skillful Parenting Approach of ICS adds to prevent child abuse, neglect and family disintegration.

HoW oUR SKiLLFUL PaRENTiNG appRoach WoRKs

Basic Skillful Parenting Modules

Roles & responsibilities Family budgeting

Self esteem

Community Based Organization (CBO)

p
local leadership/ government
Values

Violence against women and children are major concerns in Cambodia. International and national research has shown that parenting programs can play an important role in the prevention of violence against women and children. The family forms the basic protective unit for children. It is within the family that children are taught morals and responsibilities that will enable them go through life. Furthermore a positive parent-child relationship and positive parenting styles can buffer the effects of family and community inuences on children's

Child protection Positive discipline Family relations and communication

Translate to local situation Parent Peer Groups (20)

Anger & Conict management in the family

Representative (3)

Current parenting based on culteral religious & societal context Awareness Raising campaigns External factors; community leaders and i.e. education actors Knowledge on skillful parenting

Parenting peer groups & Thematic modules: Roles & responsibilities, Self esteem, Values

Social comparison and joint reection Intention to change Willingness Skillful parenting (changed behaviour)

development, including violent behaviour later in life. ICS beliefs all parents are capable of raising their children. However many Cambodian families are faced with difcult challenges on a daily basis, causing stress and negatively inuencing their capacity to parent. By increasing parents' understanding of child development, good communication skills and non-violent parenting practices, family relationships can be strengthened, providing children with healthy, non-violent and safe home environments to grow up in. In addition ICS devotes particular attention to prevention of genderbased violence by promoting a healthy dialogue with both fathers and mothers on their roles, responsibilities, gender norms and values within the family. By building positive partnerships and parenting practices parents become positive role models for their children and can break the intergenerational transmission of violence. The behaviour change model regarding Skillful Parenting (gure 1) is based upon a positive approach to parenting, and the support towards parents to be critical and aware about their parenting role. Furthermore, it is built upon the evidence based understanding that change will only take place if parents are convinced of the need for change and of their capacity to change. In the ICS model, both internal and external factors are

being analyzed and discussed. In the development of the model ICS cooperated with Proud2Be (www.proud2b.org) and A+B=3 (www.AandBmake3.com). ICS will continue to cooperate with other organizations in development of other relevant modules. Under guidance of a professional facilitator skillful parenting is provided to parent peer groups, consisting of fathers, mothers and other caregivers. The facilitators addresses eight basic parenting topics (gure 2) in different sessions geared towards providing parents with basic knowledge and opportunities for social comparison and joint reection. The exact number and content of the sessions is tailored to the characteristics, needs and interest of each specic group of parents. ICS believes in the power of combining different interventions that address the complex interplay between individual, relationship, community, and societal factors. The work with parent peer groups is combined with wider community awareness-raising campaigns and individual follow-up. Furthermore ICS always seeks opportunities to embed skillful parenting in wider programs, like efforts on child protection systems building, coordinated prevention of violence, saving for change and the ICS Social Business interventions.

Belief in self-efcacy

Attitudes

Skills development topics on: Positive discipline, Family relations and communication, Anger & Conict management, Child protection, Family budgeting

gure 1

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