With technical support from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Ministry of Education Transformation is implementing the Parent Education Programme (PEP) to strengthen positive parenting skills.
The PEP is a flexible community-based parenting programme that caters to all parents and caregivers of school-aged children aged 3 to 18 years old. This includes parents and caregivers who have socioeconomic challenges, have children with behaviour and cognitive challenges or special needs, single parents, and male caregivers.
The programme has a structured curriculum tailored to the Barbadian context. It provides access to positive parenting support through interactive sessions and activities designed to enhance knowledge, teach effective positive parenting strategies, and equip participants with practical tools that assist in parenting children at various educational levels and developmental stages. The objectives of the PEP are to equip parents and caregivers with skills that:
- Help them practice work/life balance and assist them in managing stressful realities
- Develop effective communication skills that promote positive relationships with children and adults
- Assist in the understanding of children’s stages of development to promote more effective communication between adults and children
- Provide strategies to create positive learning spaces that are non-judgmental and caring to manage children’s behaviours
- Develop their confidence as leaders through interacting with their peers who share similar experiences