The Apapacho Strategy seeks to promote the full development of young children and prevent early childhood violence in the home. To achieve this, it strengthens the caregiving capacities of mothers, fathers, and other caregivers through their own daily parenting and care practices, providing tools to both families and the professionals who support them.
The Apapacho Strategy consists of 11 in-person sessions organized into three learning modules: 1. Strengthening the relationship with children, 2. The importance of structure in parenting, and 3. Strategies for addressing challenging parenting situations. These are based on active listening, the interweaving of knowledge, and the co-creation of strategies.
Aquí tienes la lista organizada:
Fundación Apapacho
Jorge Cuartas
Juliana Borbón
Melissa Guerra
Luciana Beccassino
Catalina Rey-Guerra
Evelin Piñeros
Felipe Borbón
Early Childhood Technical Team of the Colombian Institute of Family Wellbeing (ICBF)
Geraldine Moreno
María Cristina Agudo
ICBF Innovation and Wellbeing Lab
María Fernanda Rodriguez
Isabela Garcia
Mateo Valderrama
Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA)
Daniela Trujillo
Oscar Pineda
Participating child development centers
The Apapacho Strategy has reached more than 300 families in the municipalities of Quibdó, La Calera, Bogotá, and Soacha!
In 2024, the first implementation of the Apapacho Strategy was carried out, benefiting 191 families. The strategy was developed across nine family modality service units and one institutional modality service unit in four ICBF zonal centers (San Cristóbal, Mártires, Soacha, and Soacha Centro) located in Bogotá and Soacha.
The pilot evaluation showed promising results in strengthening loving and sensitive parenting practices and preventing early childhood violence. Participating mothers, fathers, and caregivers reported a greater ability to understand and respond to their children’s needs, engage in more play and stimulation activities, increase the use of non-violent parenting strategies, and improve emotional management strategies. To read the details of the study: https://cuartaslab.com/apapacho-preventing-violence-and-promoting-child-development-in-colombia/
In addition, the Apapacho Strategy has expanded its reach to other communities through shorter, more flexible versions adapted to the needs of each context. At the Otero Liévano Foundation, two implementation cycles were conducted, benefiting nearly 20 families in Bogotá, while at the Semillas de Amor Foundation in La Calera, the strategy reached 25 families over two implementation cycles.
During 2025, the program was implemented with ICBF staff across 7 directly operated Child Development Centers, distributed across three zonal centers in the localities of San Cristóbal Sur, Los Mártires, and Bosa in the city of Bogotá. With the help of 6 psychosocial specialists who facilitated the program, nearly 200 families benefited.
In 2026, the program was implemented in the municipality of Quibdó, Chocó, through the CORPOIDEST Foundation, benefiting 17 families.
"I look at him and think, 'Oh man, he's just a child, he's a baby. If I'm 34 years old and struggle to manage my emotions, what must it be like for a child who is just starting out in life?'"
"I am learning to set boundaries without asserting authority."
"I mean, I learned so much, and I’d love to go back to Apapacho because it nourished me—like, how do I explain it—it was like a vitamin for my body."
Violence against early childhood, particularly corporal punishment in the home, constitutes a major public health and human rights challenge worldwide. Its effects impact children’s comprehensive development, affecting their brain development, physical and mental health, and lifelong well-being. In Colombia, more than 1.7 million children under five years old experience some form of violence, with the home being the primary setting where it occurs. This reality underscores the need to strengthen family capacities and promote loving, sensitive, and violence-free parenting practices.
In this context, Law 2089 of 2021 in Colombia prohibits the use of physical punishment, cruel, humiliating, or degrading treatment as a corrective method against children and adolescents, leading to the creation of the National Pedagogical and Prevention Strategy to promote non-violent parenting alternatives. In response to this need, the Apapacho Strategy emerged—an evidence-based parenting program that strengthens the capacities of mothers, fathers, and caregivers to promote full child development and prevent violence from the early years of life.
Formative Phase (2022): The Apapacho Strategy grew out of a process of active listening and joint creation, gathering the voices of mothers, fathers, caregivers, ICBF staff, and policymakers to understand the main challenges and needs families face during early childhood parenting. Additionally, a scientific evidence review of successful parenting and violence prevention programs was conducted, allowing for the creation of an evidence-based strategy adapted to the realities of Colombian families.
Design Phase (2023–2024): Building on the insights from the formative phase, prototyping sessions were conducted with families and ICBF staff. This process helped define the Apapacho curriculum and produce both the facilitators’ manual and the workbook for families. Following this, facilitator training and a strategy orientation process were carried out with ICBF staff.
Pilot Phase (2024): During the second semester, a pilot program was implemented across 10 ICBF service units, benefiting more than 191 families.
Evaluation Phase (2024): The pilot was evaluated using a quasi-experimental difference-in-differences approach. Data was collected from both treatment and control groups before and after the intervention. Additionally, session observations and focus groups were conducted with families, facilitators, and staff. This phase provided key insights used to refine and adjust the program.
Implementation Cycles (2024–Present): The Apapacho Foundation forms partnerships with various organizations to bring the Apapacho Strategy to more and more homes! We have reached La Calera, Bogotá, Soacha, Quibdó… If you are interested in implementing this program in your community, contact us!
