Maternal Sensitivity Program

Dr. Patrícia Alvarenga is an Associate Professor at the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA/Brazil) and a researcher from the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq/Brazil). In the last ten years, her work has been focused on interventions to promote sensitive parenting practices and young children’s social-emotional development, which fit the needs of families from low socio-economic backgrounds. Dr. Maria Ángeles Cerezo is a Chair in Psychology at the University of Valencia, Spain. Her research publications focus on family relationships, especially early interaction with babies as a predictor of child attachment. Applying the science of babies, she developed a universal program to support parents and their babies to promote their well-being and emotional security (Spanish and English versions: PAPMI® & PCPS®). Her university recognized this applied facet of her work through the Social Innovation spin-off Instituto Psicológico Infancia y Familia (IPINFA), where she is the Scientific Director.Dr. Yana Kuchirko is an Assistant Professor at Brooklyn College, City University of New York. She examines sociocultural and ecological contexts of child development. Specifically, she focuses on features of children's early experiences in their everyday settings (home, neighborhood, school), and how vary by ethnicity/race, socioeconomic status, and gender. A core facet of her work centers on the structure and function of language interactions among children and their families from different ethnic/racial and cultural backgrounds.

• 1.Theoretical and empirical underpinnings of maternal sensitivity: Considerations of sensitivity across cultures and socio-economic status.- 2.Impact of maternal verbal responsiveness on infant language development.- 3.Program development.- 4.Program description.- 5.Program evaluation.- 6.Providers’ training.- 7.The session at three months of age: Attending to and understanding baby’s signals.- 8.The session at four months of age: Responding to the baby’s signals.- 9.The session at five months of age: Respecting baby’s pace and space.- 10.The session at six months of age: Engaging in turn-taking.- 11.The session at seven months of age: Helping the baby to focus attention.- 12.The session at eight months of age: Supporting baby’s emotional expressions.- 13.The session at nine months of age: Showing the world with words.- 14.The session at ten months of age: The enlargement of the baby’s world.- 15.Final Comments.