Who’s raising the kids? TikTok, Instagram or you?

THE upbringing of children within families is an issue that requires urgent attention from parents, guardians, families, communities and the nation as a whole, because children represent the future of any country.

Children must be given adequate preparation in their growth and development to ensure their overall well-being. In the past, raising children was a shared responsibility between parents and the wider community, which helped protect children from abuse, immoral behaviour and other threats to their development.

However, the collapse of this community-based upbringing system has left many children vulnerable to abuse and exploitation, pushing them into risky environments.

Recognising the importance of strengthening child and family care, the government recently launched the national guidelines for the establishment and operation of parent groups for childcare and upbringing.

Additionally, in 2015, the government launched a family care education manual aimed at preventing violence against children.

The manual was used to train regional and local government experts who provided positive parenting education to parents and guardians across 25 regions in Mainland Tanzania.

Speaking at the launch of the guidelines during the International Day of Families held nationally in Ilemela Municipality, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Energy Dr Doto Biteko emphasised that families are the foundation of any community’s development and must be valued and supported.

Representing the Vice President Dr Philip Mpango, Dr Biteko said the community must ensure the provision of essential services to meet children’s needs and promote their holistic growth.

He emphasised the family’s role in preserving and transmitting positive cultural values from one generation to the next. He said this year’s “Family Day”, celebrations were decentralised to the village, street, ward, district and regional levels, under the theme: “A child is upbringing; the foundation of a strong family and a stable nation.”

He said to enhance early childhood development for children less than eight years, the government, in collaboration with partners, is implementing the Integrated National Programme for Early Childhood Development (ECCD) for the period 2021/22–2025/26.

He said the programme ensures children receive equitable and inclusive care starting from conception until the age of eight.

To promote awareness of this programme, he said the government has trained over 6,000 officers from sectors such as health, education, nutrition, social welfare and community development across 26 regions and 184 local authorities.

In three years of implementation, he said the government has empowered 12,000 pre-primary teachers in 184 councils, reaching over 360,000 children with positive parenting education.

Furthermore, he said a total of 4,178 day-care centres have been established, serving over 400,000 children, including 206 community-run centres that have been created, currently serving 11,675 children.

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Dr Biteko noted that children raised in positive environments are more likely to form stable families, contribute productively to society and support national development. He also highlighted the need for society to resolve family conflicts peacefully, as children should not be caught in the crossfire of adult disputes.

Zanzibar’s Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Community Development, Gender and Special Groups, Ms Abeida Rashid, stressed the importance of early childhood care, noting that Zanzibar has made significant progress in ensuring children grow in a healthy and supportive environment.

Deputy Minister Ms Mwanaidi Ally Khamis from the Ministry of Community Development, Women and Special Groups reiterated that this year’s Family Day theme underscores the role of good parenting as the foundation of strong families and a strong nation.

The Chairperson of the Tanzania Early Childhood Development Network (TECDEN), Ms Elizabeth Thobias said quality childrearing is essential for national progress.

In 2021, the government, in collaboration with stakeholders, launched the Integrated National Programme for Early Childhood Development with the goal of ensuring every Tanzanian child follows the right developmental path.

She said, according to the 2022 Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey (TDHSMIS), only 47 per cent of children are on the right growth track, leaving 53 per cent at risk. She emphasised that more must be done to reach the children who are not developing as expected.

In implementing the programme, she said TECDEN coordinates non-governmental stakeholders nationwide, where the network currently comprises 122 member organisations, including NGOs, international organisations and development partners, coordinating the programme in all 26 mainland regions.

She urged the government to allocate a dedicated budget for the programme to address the shortage of specialists and childcare centres in communities, which would not only improve services but also enable mothers to participate in economic activities without worrying about their children’s safety.

“We promise to continue collaborating with the government and other programme stakeholders to raise community awareness on the importance of investing in early childhood care. We believe that if we change the beginning of the story, we can change the whole story,” she explained.

A representative of UNICEF-Tanzania, Laxmi Bhawani emphasised that early childhood development is not just about care giving it’s a national development agenda that shapes children’s futures, learning abilities and contributions to society.

UNICEF commended the Tanzanian government for prioritising early childhood development through the national multi-sectoral ECD strategy and its gender equity initiative.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Community Development, Gender, Women and Special Groups, Dr John Jingu noted that parenting education has encouraged parents to form peer groups in some villages and neighbourhoods.

According to Dk Jingu, four years ago, the ministry assessed the effectiveness of these parenting groups and found several challenges, including few groups, limited male participation, lack of coordination and low motivation due to the narrow focus on education alone.

Key areas in the ‘new guidelines’ The guidelines outline several critical areas, where in chapter one it covers the background of the government’s efforts in delivering parenting education and child protection services.

It also highlights government initiatives to strengthen child safety and welfare, including ratifying regional and international agreements, developing policies and guidelines and enacting laws.

In chapter two, details how to establish and manage parent groups for childcare, which are formed voluntarily by parents or guardians to gain parenting knowledge and collaborate on child-rearing and development.

In general, the guidelines are a comprehensive framework for promoting effective parenting at the family and community levels. It’s advisable for readers to review the full document for deeper insights.