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Abu Dhabi: The Early Childhood Education Authority (ECA) of Abu Dhabi has announced a partnership with New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) and Zayed University (ZU) and the Emirates Advanced Institute to launch Abu Dhabi-specific parenting program education (ECAE). By engaging a group of Emirati and international scholars, experts and researchers, this evidence-based and culture-based programme will cover a variety of topics related to Early Childhood Development (ECD) using innovative training, engagement and research tools.
The parenting program will be developed by NYU in coordination with ECA and other entities, under the supervision of co-principal investigators, Dr. Antje von Suchodoletz of NYU, Dr. Michelle Kelly of ECAE, and Dr. Christin Camia of ZU, with a focus on children under the age of eight ‘s parents. It will be comprehensively designed to cover various areas of early childhood development such as health, nutrition and early learning.
The planned design is expected to be completed within the next 18-24 months. Thereafter, the programme will be rolled out in Abu Dhabi through a pilot phase of 300 parents to measure its results. In addition, coordinators will be trained on the delivery plan with the aim of improving the skills of ECD staff and measuring their results.
Parents play the most important role in the life and education of young children. A key mission of the ECA is to provide parents and primary caregivers with the knowledge, skills and resources they need to build their ability to promote the healthy development of their children. The programme is the result of the Early Childhood Parenting Strategy (ECPS) developed by ECA last year to increase parenting knowledge, improve the well-being of parents in Abu Dhabi and support them in their parenting responsibilities.
In addition, the program integrates with ECA’s Positive Discipline for Everyday Parenting program, launched in 2021, in partnership with Positive Discipline in Everyday Life in Canada, and with eight Abu Dhabi entities in the health, education and social sectors.
ECA Director General HE Sana Suhail said: “We have partnered with NYUAD, ZU and ECAE to form a dedicated team of experts, researchers and academics to develop and measure the outcomes of Abu Dhabi’s parenting programmes. By training relevant coordinators , the team will also contribute to the capacity building of the ECD workforce in Abu Dhabi”.
According to Suhail, the team is responsible for coordinating with stakeholders and partners to develop parenting strategies appropriate to the local environment and culture. In addition, they will provide a governance framework, including programs, legislation and programs, to improve transparency and capacity, as well as performance indicators for evaluating delivered training programs.
Suhail stressed that the program’s goals reflect ECA’s commitment to developing comprehensive child protection programs based on the highest international standards and practices. She hopes that the initiative will position the UAE as one of the top countries for adopting innovative solutions to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals related to the ECD sector.
Marta Losada, Dean of NYU’s Faculty of Science, commented: “Supporting parents and caregivers through the development of culturally-based, localized parenting programs enables young children of all nationalities in Abu Dhabi to reach their full potential. It is so important that we are delighted to work with Zayed University and the Emirates Higher Education Institute to strengthen support for parents and carers through the development of the Abu Dhabi Parenting Programme and thank the Early Childhood Education Authority (ECA) Abu Dhabi for its support Valuable work.”
Dr Michael Allen, Assistant Provost for Research at Zayed University, said: “We are delighted to be working with NYU Abu Dhabi and the Emirates Institute of Higher Education to develop a culturally sensitive parenting programme for Abu Dhabi. We applaud our Faculty members continue to contribute to research initiatives that have national impact and are aligned with national priorities.”
Dr May Al Taee, Vice-Chancellor, Emirates Institute of Higher Education, commented: “We are very grateful to Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Education Authority for its collaboration with NYU Abu Dhabi and Zayed University to develop relevant, meaningful, and impactful parenting programme. We are delighted to oversee the training of counsellors at the Emirates Higher Education Academy and look forward to delivering evidence-based strategies to enhance the capacity of this early childhood development workforce.”
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