UNICEF, in cooperation with the Delegation of the European Union (EU) in Montenegro, on the occasion of Parenthood Month, organized a presentation of programs that support parents in their important roles in life.
As announced by UNICEF, two programs intended for parents of young children - "Caring Families" and the Bebbo application - were presented at the European House.
UNICEF said that the "Caring Families" program has been implemented in Montenegro for four years and that more than 700 parents have participated in it so far, who gave the program an average rating of 4,74 out of a maximum of 5.
As they stated, the evaluation of that program found that after its implementation in families, there was a reduction of harsh and violent parenting by 70 percent.
"As well as a significant reduction in child behavior problems (31 percent) and parental depression (45 percent)," the announcement says.
UNICEF said that the "Caring Families" program is implemented with the support of that agency of the United Nations and the EU in Montenegro.
The program, as they stated, was developed and previously tested in many countries of the world through collaboration between the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the University of Cape Town and Stellenbosch University in South Africa, Oxford and Bangor University in Great Britain.
UNICEF said that, apart from Montenegro, this program in Europe is implemented in the Czech Republic, North Macedonia, Moldova and Romania.
"The program was presented to the parents by its author, clinical psychology professor Judy Hutchings, while psychotherapist and group leader Darija Petović Bambur spoke about its implementation in Montenegro," the announcement says.
The program, as stated, is intended for parents of children aged two to nine, and is implemented in kindergartens, non-governmental organizations and health centers throughout the country.
As announced, the Bebbo application was presented by the coordinator of the program for early development of children in UNICEF Montenegro, Ida Ferdinandi, and was joined by Maja Miranović, a mother who has been using the application for a long time.
"This application provides parents of children up to six years of age with reliable information on a range of topics, such as health, nutrition, breastfeeding, safety, early learning and positive parenting," UNICEF said.
The entire content of the application, as they stated, was developed in cooperation with the Institute for Public Health and can be downloaded for free on Google Play or the App Store.
Ferdinandi called on parents to take advantage of quality and proven programs that, she said, have helped thousands of mothers and fathers in Montenegro and the region in the first and often most critical years of a child's life and parenting experience.
The "Caring Families" program and the Bebbo application were implemented in Montenegro with the support of UNICEF and financial support from the EU.
Bonus video:
