The ‘Light Every Moment of Childhood’ campaign inspires caregivers to commit to positive parenting

BEIJING, 31 May 2023 — The ‘Light Every Moment of Childhood’ campaign was launched in Beijing today, on the eve of the Month on Protection of Minors in China and UNICEF's Global Parenting Month in June. It is jointly organised by UNICEF and the China National Children's Center, with support from the China Center for Child Welfare and Adoption. As part of the campaign, an innovative art exhibition was also unveiled at the China National Children's Center, that will be open to public until the end of June. The campaign also includes a series of workshops and practical tips for caregivers dedicated to positive parenting.

At the launch event, Yuan Lixin, Director General of the China National Children's Center, said since its founding in 1982, the center has been working closely with UNICEF and has achieved significant results in the areas of science-based parenting, advocacy for child rights, and early childhood development. “We will continue to carry forward our glorious heritage, make the best of our expertise, pay attention to emerging challenges in child development and protection, conduct in-depth research, and explore effective problem-solving approaches to support families caring for children, guide the development of children, protect their rights, build their future, and wholeheartedly promote children's healthy growth and all-around development.”

Ni Chunxia, Director General of the China Center for Children's Welfare and Adoption (CCCWA) said that the center has always believed that the family is central to children's well-being. The CCCWA has carried out in-depth research on family building, it has extensively carried out international cooperation, and it has made full use of its official WeChat account and other platforms to actively promote scientific parenting. The themed event, jointly organized with the China Children's Center and the UNICEF China Office, is important for promoting the Law on the Protection of Minors and the Law on the Promotion of Family Education, consolidating family responsibilities, promoting services for the care of children, and strengthening cooperation among various institutions.

The event also featured testimonies from a father and a para social worker who spoke passionately about their experiences.

Guo Yuhua, a father of four children from Suichuan County, Jiangxi Province, spoke through a video message. His family used to resort to discipline methods such as spanking because they believed that this was an effective way to teach acceptable behaviour to children. "After attending the positive parenting sessions, I realized that spanking our children isn't a good approach. You need to reason with them."

After taking part in the positive parenting sessions and practicing the positive parenting skills, the parents saw improvements such as better two-way communication with their children based on respect and empathy, and reduced violent disciplining methods. The parents also say their children understood better why they have family rules to resolve problems more quickly, and the children are happier with their deeper family connections.

UNICEF Representative to China Amakobe Sande said, “We know that raising children can be difficult. UNICEF has evidence and global experience of what works to promote nurturing environments and prevent violence. With our partners we are listening to parents and adapting the programme based on the principle of nurturing relationships of respect, trust, empathy and communication through role-modelling with children. And we are documenting the experience and lessons learned to advocate for increased nationwide investments to support families, particularly through parenting programmes.

“Every child has the right to grow up in a safe environment, free from violence, abuse, and neglect. UNICEF and partners call on everyone, including businesses and other stakeholders to support the scale up of positive parenting programmes and ensure universal access for all families,” Sande added.

At the event, a teaser video of the renowned actor, father and UNICEF Ambassador Chen Kun was screened. The full documentary of his experience of meeting children and caregivers during a visit to a UNICEF-supported child protection programme in southern China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region will be published on 18 June, Father's Day. Chen Kun will lend his name and fame to shine a spotlight on the issue and mobilize support for change.

The June Parenting Month expands on a digital campaign launched in December 2022, which gave parents practical tips to manage difficult situations at home, at school and online. Based on feedback from surveys, focus groups and structured interviews, a new set of guidance goes further by giving practical tips for raising children adapted according to three age ranges: 0-6, 7-11, and 12-17 years. Parenting workshops will also be held in June to give parents outside the project areas and potential new partners an opportunity to experience the sessions in person.

This campaign is part of UNICEF's broader work in child protection. UNICEF, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the All-China Women's Federation, local authorities and communities carried out a programme in 15 pilot counties/districts in Guangxi, Jiangxi, Ningxia, Shandong and Yunnan. CNCC and CCCWA have been playing a strong role in the technical support in the development of the programme. UNICEF works with partners to develop and strengthen the building blocks of a local child protection system through a county-township-village service delivery network providing a positive parenting programme, a psychosocial sport and play programme, and specialized support services for families that are navigating multiple challenges. Efforts also include building the capacity of the child protection workforce to best support vulnerable children and families and to prevent and respond to violence, abuse, and neglect.  

UNICEF aims to expand these pilots throughout China and advocate for more investments in positive parenting programmes by public and private sector partners. This will enable the replication of parenting sessions to support families and promote nurturing family environments that prevent violence. The pilot programme's findings and the parenting month activities will further strengthen efforts to scale up the positive parenting programme, based on the Law on Promotion of Family Education. 

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HOW TO GET INVOLVED:

Calling all parents or those who want to get parenting tips! Let's ensure positive parenting to prevent violence and neglect for every child.

1. Follow UNICEF on our social media channels for the latest updates on the launch.
2. Come and join us at the art installation exhibit at CNCC. You can scan a QR code at the gate to register. We will not be giving any registration details to any third party.
3. Join us in person for parenting workshops in June organized by UNICEF and partners. Space is limited so register as soon as possible when relevant information is available.
4. Follow us on social media to experience the online art exhibition and other exciting social media content for positive parenting tips.
5. Give us feedback through this survey, join us for future focus group discussions and help us co-create a positive parenting resource book.