Last week several interviews and focus group discussions were held as part of the process of the development of a Positive Parenting Support Program (PPSP) on Sint Maarten. The Program will be piloted later this year and aims to help parents and caregivers increase their knowledge and understanding of positive child development practices, improve communication, increase the opportunities for bonding between parents and caregivers and reduce harsh parenting practices.
The Minister of Education, Culture, Youth & Sport (MECYS), Drs. Rodolphe Samuel encourages those in the community that want to contribute to the development of the PSPP to reach out:
“The success of this program depends highly on the involvement of Government and community stakeholders.” Those interested in contributing to or requesting information about this project can contact the Department of Youth by sending an email to deptofyouth@sintmaartengov.org.
The PPSP will be tailor-made for the island and has been a long-term goal of, and initiative led and executed by the Department of Youth, in the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport (MECYS). It is being developed and implemented with technical support from UNICEF the Netherlands, The University of the West Indies Open Campus, through the Caribbean Child Development Centre (CCDC), in partnership with Parenting Partners Caribbean (PPC). The PPSP is part of the Child Resilience and Protection Project (CRPP), financed by the Government of The
Netherlands, through the Sint Maarten Trust Fund, administered by the World Bank.
The draft PPSP will be presented to The Youth Department and Minister Samuel this summer, and after their approval, a pilot training will be organized for 60 Facilitators and 20 Master Trainers to provide positive parenting support classes to the wider community. “PPSP Facilitators will be able to provide parenting classes and Master Trainers will be able to train others to become PPSP Facilitators. This will help to ensure the sustainability of the Program,”
shares Ceceile Minott, Head CCDC, of The University of the West Indies Open Campus.
Once participants complete the required minimum hours of training, they will receive a Certificate with Continuing Education Units from The University of the West Indies Open Campus. In addition, their feedback will be incorporated into revising and finalizing the PSPP.
Updates on this project can be followed on www.facebook.com/departmentofyouthsxm & www.facebook.com/unicefsxm
