Ukraine’s Zhytomyr region opens childcare training center for nurses and parents

Ukraine's first training and resource center implementing the universal progressive patronage model was opened at the Zhytomyr Medical Institute.

What is the problem?

"Our region carried a double burden. On the one hand, a large part was under [Russian] occupation and active hostilities. On the other hand, it became a refuge for many of internally displaced persons who found temporary or permanent shelter here," Ihor Katsitadze, the coordinator of medical programs of UNICEF Ukraine, told Suspilne. "The needs of children and families in this region are much higher compared to other regions." 

What is the solution?

According to Katsitadze, the Zhytomyr region became the first region where a training and resource center for nurses and parents was organized to implement a new model of better care for a child's development for up to 1,000 days. 

"This is a project about better care for children. It is the return of the patronage model when a nurse or a pediatrician comes to your home, evaluates the eco-map of the family, looks at where there may be a risk for the child," said Marharita Siranchuk of the UNICEF cross-sectoral project in the Zhytomyr region.

How does it work?

Acting Rector of the Zhytomyr Medical Institute Svitlana Hordiichuk says that students and teachers of the Zhytomyr Medical Institute, as well as representatives of other medical educational institutions of Ukraine, will improve their knowledge in the training and resource center.

The project was implemented thanks to the support of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). According to times.zt.ua, the educational center has two zones: a training center, where you can conduct a variety of child care training, both for doctors, students, and future parents, and a simulation area where you can get practical skills.

The training area is meant to teach medical staff and students to improve the quality of services. In the simulation area, they will learn how to properly swaddle a baby, properly breastfeed, transfer a child from mother to father, properly wash a baby, and much more.

Fifteen healthcare institutions in the Zhytomyr region provide such services and high-quality care for newborns and children under three.

About UNICEF

The UNICEF Children's Fund is a specialized structure of the UN. UNICEF is a global leader in protecting the rights and interests of children, working in more than 190 countries and territories around the world to protect and support children from birth to adulthood.

Rubryka reported that the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) jointly developed a mine safety workshop for Ukrainian students. An online course on teaching mine safety to children of all ages will be available for teachers. Also, UNICEF opened a new children's center, Spilno, in the Mykolaiv region.