Guardian Angel – an educational support programme

When a child joins the family, nothing is as it used to be. It is even more difficult if there is a lack of peer support, both during pregnancy and when the baby is born. New parents need knowledge and skills in caring for a child, an understanding of the baby’s needs, as well as their own feelings.

The purpose of the group is to help young families by providing support to skilfully care for and raise the baby from birth to two years of age. The group allows you to meet other parents, exchange experience, and celebrate the important holidays together thus teaching children traditions and creating happy childhood memories.

TARGET AUDIENCE: The groups are intended for moms and dads who are expecting a baby or raising a baby from birth to 2 years of age. However, these groups are particularly useful to:

  • parents who have not always felt enough parental love and care themselves;
  • parents who lack peer support in the day-to-day care of the baby;
  • teenage parents;
  • mothers with postpartum depression;
  • a parent raising his/her baby alone.

GROUP ORGANISATION

The meeting takes place every two weeks, lasts for 2 hours and until the child reaches the age of two. You can join the group at any time.

The group begins by singing a song together to their baby and getting to know each child’s new achievements and parents’ challenges.

In the lessons, parents work with their children, and at the same time discuss one of the current topics, for example:

  • Child development by age
  • Child care (potty training, hygiene, feeding)
  • Promoting secure attachment
  • Child safety (at home and outside)
  • Teething and other health topics
  • Techniques for calming down the baby

At the end of the lesson, parents share their experiences at a common table, adding to their domestic and practical skills.

Lessons are bilingual.

The programme is provided in collaboration with the Riga Social Service (please contact your Social Worker about the availability of the service).

Venue: “Centrs Dardedze”, 3a Cieceres Street, Riga.

Information and application: grupas@centrsdardedze.lv; phone +371 22822140.