A Refresher Training Programme was conducted at BOSCO Yuvodaya for the staff of the Child Care Institutions (CCIs) of BOSCO on October 31, 2024. The programme aimed at enhancing the skills and knowledge of staff members involved child care and support. Fr. Varghese Pallipuram, Executive Director, BOSCO Bengaluru provided an overview of the training encouraging participants to reflect on whether their CCIs could be seen as a second family for the children. He posed questions about fostering love, understanding, and a model environment in the CCIs, focusing on children’s overall development, readiness to face life’s challenges, job satisfaction, and team collaboration.

The session led by Ms. Usha from NIMHANS emphasized the importance of professionalism in child care. She highlighted the distinction between ‘listening’ and ‘hearing’ and discussed the value of acceptance, effective communication, maintaining a non-judgmental approach and the importance of recognizing individual roles within a team.  Mr. Santhosh Kumar from Thunkoor University inspired the group with the message, “We cannot change the world for everyone, but we can change the world for someone.” He emphasized self-love and managing emotional temperament and encouraged staff to perform a SWOT analysis for self-improvement. He also stressed the importance of recognizing both verbal and non-verbal communication from children to foster a deeper connection and understanding.

 Fr. Varghese Pallipuram explained the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) within the  CCIs, the importance of consistency and clarity in daily operations. The session conducted by Fr. Joseph Dandavathi, Director, BOSCO Yuvakendra explored the psychological aspects of child development through Erik Erikson’s Theory of Psycho-social Development. It provided staff, an understanding of different developmental stages, enabling them to better address the emotional and psychological needs of children. Thirty-three staff of the CCIs atended the training.