15/10/2026
ICLEI-South Asia’s Technical Support Unit, with support from Van Leer Foundation, held a Training of Master Trainers on Parental Wellbeing in Shillong on 21-22 September and in Tura on 24-25 September, as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the first 1,000 days through the Paalan 2.0 components.
The training was practice-oriented and grounded in the everyday realities of parents, caregivers and young children. Participants included District Mental Health Programme teams and District Nursing Instructors from 12 districts across the state. The training discussed parental wellbeing, transition to parenthood, including Matrescence and Patrescence, and Responsive Caregiving. Participants also explored stress and support systems, along with the local coping practices and community networks that families in Meghalaya already rely on.
Through practice sessions, participants built skills in facilitation, coaching and peer feedback. They learned how to hold supportive conversations, recognise concerns, support caregivers, and guide frontline workers. A key focus was applying the learning at three levels: At Home, in the Community, and at the Centre.
As next steps, Master Trainers will train frontline functionaries across Anganwadi Centres, Village Health Sanitation and Nutrition Days and other community platforms.
The aim is to build a stronger cascade of trained Master Trainers and frontline workers who can offer relevant and practical support to parents and caregivers, and help create an environment where young children can grow, learn and thrive.
SCEP Meghalaya
