Building Capacity, Creating Change: A Journey in the Egyptian Child Protection System

By Carie Forden, Professor and Chair, and Yasmine Saleh, Associate Professor of Practice, Department of Psychology

This presentation describes the joys and challenges of a capacity-building initiative implemented in collaboration with UNICEF, the Ministry of Social Solidarity, the Ministry of Education, the National Council of Women, and the National Council of Childhood and Motherhood. We began seven years ago with the goal of addressing some of the systemic problems within the field of child protection in Egypt, and have now delivered the program to hundreds of social service and educational professionals.

Our approach is designed to improve competence through training and coaching/supervision focused on 1) identifying and addressing abuse and trauma, 2) providing psychosocial support to children and families, and 3) developing soft skills related to mental health and social service interventions. Our methodology includes the development of culturally relevant curricula in Arabic, with an emphasis on reflective practice, active learning, and practical application. To promote sustainability, we train and support trainers, provide a post-training coaching program, and work with supervisors. While evaluations of the interventions have indicated that both the training and coaching/supervision have improved knowledge and behavior in the field, many barriers remain. Those barriers will be discussed, along with the lessons we’ve learned about capacity-building, working with governmental agencies, and creating change.

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