There are two more batches of local government unit social workers who will undergo a four – day training on the newly – introduced World Health Organization – Child Growth Standards (WHO-CGS) on April of this year, revealed DSWD Field Office Eight Regional Director Remia Tapispisan.

The series of trainings conducted by province and city started November of last year, and will be continued this year, so as to complete the remaining 155 of the total 453 program implementers of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Supplemental Feeding Program (SFP).

Director Tapispisan bared that the Day Care Officer, Municipal Day Care Federation President, and the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Officer of each of the recipient 137 local government units (LGU), form part of the participants. On April 16 to 19,   the fourth batch of trainees will come from Ormoc City, to be followed by the Eastern Samar group on April 23 to 26.

“These people who are directly engaged in the Supplemental Feeding Program need said training for them to acquire the knowledge and skills in assessing the nutritional status of children enrolled in the SFP of the Department,” said the DSWD Regional Director. Previously, the DSWD uses the old method of weight assessment which is now obsolete.

The SFP is the DSWD’s contribution to the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) program of the government. It aims to provide augmentation support for the feeding program for children in LGU – managed day care centers by using indigenous food; improve knowledge attitude and practices of children, parents, and caregivers through intensified nutrition and health education; and improve and sustain the nutritional status of target children – beneficiaries.

Under the program, parents of the beneficiaries are organized by the Day Care Worker to obtain their support and commitment to the program, and build them as a team and develop in them the spirit of volunteerism.

Also part of program implementation is the weighing of children before and after the 120 – day feeding period, deworming of children, as well as attendance of parents to the nine sessions on Parent Effectiveness.

Meanwhile, Pauline Nadera, the SFP Focal Person, revealed that the target number of beneficiaries for the program sums up to 110, 768 children in 4, 083 day care centers regionwide.

On the other hand, the DSWD Field Office Eight will be launching an Information, Education and Communication Campaign come Tuesday, April 23, 2013 at 10 : 30 in the morning at the Activity Center of Robinson’s Place in Tacloban. The purpose is to build a strong coalition of partners, especially from among local government units, in the implementation of the Supplemental Feeding Program and; seek cooperation from the parents of young children such that they will give importance to the health/nutrition of their kids in their formative years.

Also, the office hopes to get full media support in the program in order to gain more positive stories.

Media representatives from all over the region and Municipal Administrators from nearby municipalities are invited.