Mis Primeros Tres (My First Three) Advertising Campaign, Social Communication Program
Quite often, it is taken for granted that the knowledge that fathers, mothers and main home caregivers possess will suffice for the adequate development of infants. However, there are many instances where they need extra tools and knowledge to provide quality care and stimulation to their children. Peru’s Baltazar y Nicolás Foundation has identified this information void and taken on the task of raising awareness about childcare and childrearing practices through the advertising campaign Mis Primeros Tres (My First Three). This initiative produced content and messages in simple language that is in line with the previously identified needs of mothers and fathers. It reaches its audience via a website and social networks, but in order to reach out to a wider segment of the population, the initiative has also been resorting to open television. At the time of providing quality stimulation for the development of children, no amount of communication platforms is too much.
Problematic
Ties and quality interactions between mothers, fathers and caregivers are crucial for the integral development of girls and boys. And yet, by 2018 nearly half the children in Peru had no access to adequate degrees of interaction with their mothers. This situation is also true throughout the region. Society must take stock of early childhood development. Not just fathers, mothers, and caregivers need to realize the vital importance of early childhood development – this issue needs to reach wider audiences as well.
Solution
The Baltazar y Nicolás Foundation designed and implemented a campaign on different communications media (television, social networks, website), providing videos and other means of transmitting information on the importance of strengthening ties and interactions with young children. Its messages also include information on childcare and childrearing. The project aims to support mothers and fathers from gestation through 3 years of age on issues such as breastfeeding, safe attachment, mothers’ and children’s nutrition, and illness prevention and protection.
Evaluation and Impact
Monitoring and evaluations are conducted to determine how content is received.