Five years after Bhutan introduced an initiative to support the emotional wellbeing of parents and caregivers, early results suggest the programme is helping families build stronger relationships while creating healthier environments for young children.
Launched in 2021 by the Ministry of Education and UNICEF, the Caring for the Caregiver programme was piloted in Tsirang, Trashigang and Punakha, where 75 Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) facilitators and district education officers received specialised training. The initiative was designed to help caregivers manage stress, develop confidence and strengthen their emotional connection with children during the critical early years of development.
Since then, facilitators have been working closely with families through ECCD centres and home visits, providing counselling, emotional support and practical guidance alongside children’s learning activities.
According to ECCD facilitators, the programme has brought noticeable changes in both parents and children.
Karma Chimi, an ECCD facilitator in Tsirang, said many caregivers are now better able to recognise and manage their emotions than before the programme began.
Another facilitator, Pema Zam, observed that improvements among caregivers have translated into positive changes in children. She said children are communicating more effectively, interacting confidently with parents and peers, and showing progress in everyday activities such as play and eating.
An evaluation of the pilot programme also found encouraging outcomes among participating caregivers, including lower levels of depression and anxiety and improved self-esteem.
Parents involved in the programme say the regular interactions with facilitators have given them practical tools as well as emotional reassurance.
Dechen Wangmo, a parent from Tsirang, said having someone listen to her concerns has helped her feel understood and view her challenges from a broader perspective.
Another parent, Sarswati Chhetri, said the lessons continue beyond the facilitator’s visits, becoming part of everyday family life. She explained that even while carrying out routine household work, she now feels better equipped to engage with and care for her child.
For many rural families, home visits have become an essential part of the programme. Buddhi Man Tamang said travelling to an ECCD centre is difficult because of transportation challenges and household responsibilities, making support delivered at home especially valuable.
Mental health professionals say such interventions are particularly important during the earliest stages of a child’s life.
Psychiatrist Dr Ngawang Samten of the Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital explained that infants, especially those under two years of age, develop attachment patterns that can have lifelong effects on their emotional resilience. He said when caregivers struggle with conditions such as depression, their ability to respond consistently to a child’s needs may be affected, potentially leading to insecure attachment and reduced emotional resilience later in life.
The Caring for the Caregiver initiative is not intended as a mental health treatment programme. Instead, it focuses on preventing psychological distress and reducing social isolation by strengthening caregivers’ emotional wellbeing and support networks.
The programme currently supports more than 500 children and caregivers across the three pilot districts and complements Bhutan’s National Parenting Education Programme, which provides parents with practical knowledge and skills to promote children’s development.
Implemented through 432 community-based ECCD centres nationwide, the National Parenting Education Programme has reached nearly 9,000 children since its introduction in 2019.
Officials say supporting caregivers is ultimately an investment in children. By ensuring parents and caregivers feel emotionally supported, confident and connected, programmes such as these help create the stable and nurturing environments that are essential for healthy childhood development.
