Training Programs

Training one-on-one in a group setting with Social Welfare staff, foster parents, and caregivers is an extremely valuable aspect of our training. We work closely with them to help insure that the best medical training is provided in the areas of nurturing, growth, and development. The training consists of lecture-style and hands-on instruction in a dynamic classroom environment in which we encourage all in attendance to participate.

All training will be conducted by doctors or nurses. Our medical staff will assess each class member's knowledge base and then build upon it, thus increasing their self-confidence. Each person attending our classes will be given the opportunity to prove that they are proficient with the new material. Workbooks and demonstrations on mannequins will be utilized to determine each individual's proficiency. At the end of Pearl River's Training Program all participants will receive a certificate of completion. This comprehensive training program has had tremendous success in the overall development of children living in several orphanages across China.

Our goal is to teach staff, caregivers, and foster parents a curriculum that will benefit them personally and professionally. These benefits will undoubtedly be passed on to the children under their care. Lengths of training will depend on the specific needs and/or requests of each individual Institute.

A glimpse inside an orphanage

Early one morning in May 2006, I found myself standing outside one of the many rooms on the second floor of an orphanage in the southernmost part of China. I had been asked to provide the orphanage with training on infant/child care and development, infant/child safety, CPR, and basic first aid, but the orphanage director wanted me to tour the facility first. I quickly noticed a smell lingering in the humid air; it was a nauseating combination of mildew, urine and dirt. I politely followed the orphanage director into the "baby room" to assess all children under the age of 18 months. I was bewildered by the seemingly endless rows of small, metal cribs that lined the walls and extended throughout the room. As I walked along the rows of cribs and looked at the faces of the children I could not help but notice the dirty rags used to clothe them. Most of the children lay motionless and blankly stared at the ceiling as they slowly opened and closed their eyes. I bent over the multitude of cribs and spoke to each baby, but most refused to make eye contact or acknowledge my presence. According to the orphanage director, most of these babies were 7-12 months of age. Developmentally speaking, babies at this age should be sitting up, crawling, and playing with toys, not lying motionless.

As I continued through the maze of cribs, I began to feel overwhelmed by the number of children and a huge lump formed in the back of my throat as I fought to hold back the tears. I had already counted 103 babies when the director led me to another room to see the rest of them. I felt my heart stop as I entered the next room, which was like the last except for the deadening silence. There was no music playing, no cries, and there was not one person in sight to tend to their needs.

Once again, I began to work my way through the rows of cribs, counting the babies as I walked. Babies' number 178 and 179 stopped me dead in my tracks. Both were asleep and their bottles were lying empty beside them, because the formula had leaked out all over the thin sheet of plywood that served as a mattress. Their clothes and the towels in their beds were saturated to the point that it would have been impossible for these two babies to have acquired any nutrition.

One Year Later

In the spring of 2007, I was delighted to have the privilege of returning to the same orphanage after our curriculum & training had been implemented. The director was eager to tell me that the babies were doing well and without hesitation she led me to see them. I was astonished by what I saw and heard. There was a radio playing Chinese children's music, and several of the older babies stood in their cribs swaying to the rhythm. Some babies sat in their cribs playing with a toy, while others lay in their cribs looking around. One baby sat in her crib passing a rattle back and forth from hand to hand, while the baby beside her was banging two red blocks together. Generally speaking, the babies were still developmentally delayed, but they were significantly closer to reaching age appropriate milestones than the previous year

There was no pungent, foul odor in the air. The babies' clothes and linens remained old and worn, but for the most part were clean. Each thin sheet of plywood that served as a mattress had a sheet stretched over it. A young nanny walked among the cribs talking and singing to each of the babies, who smiled in response her voice. Another nanny wiped each baby's head with a damp towel to keep them cool in the hot, humid weather.

As I began to assess the babies, several of them intently followed me around the room with their eyes and many of them began to cry and back away from me as I approached them. They anxiously looked throughout the room for their nanny. By their reactions, I knew that the babies had been attaching and bonding to their primary caregivers, which is essential to healthy emotional and social development.

Before I left, the director reminded me of the orphanage's need and desire for continued annual training and education. I left that small orphanage in southern China with a renewed sense of hope. While we cannot hold other cultures to our exact standard of care, through education and training we can provide them with the necessary tools to implement change, thus improving the quality of care they provide.

-Christina Ross

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A Testimonial from an Assistant Orphanage Director

Dear Pearl River Outreach,

On behalf of Zhanjiang City Children's Welfare Institute, I appreciate your hard work and everything you've done for us in the past years, especially the professional training and speech you gave to us, which includes Infant/Toddler Growth and Development Training Overview, Hygiene, Infant Care, Infant/Toddler Safety, CPR and Choking and Special Needs Care.

There has been great honor for us to have you come and share your knowledge with us. Your program has been a great help to us because it opens our mind and improves our ability to handle emergency situations.

Do you have a new plan for 2008? Will you be able to continue the training course at Zhanjiang? You know, in recent years, China's national capability has been greatly improved, as well as the people's living conditions. In fact, the numbers of abandoned infants are decreasing, and the children mainly left in orphanages are special needs. For caring for the disabled children, we need more professional equipment and workers. At our institute, we have more special needs children with cerebral palsy, heart diseases and Hepatitis B. We would appreciate it if you would give us more training courses on these special needs.

Thank you for your help again. We expect a long working relationship with you and welcome the new knowledge and technology that you will bring to us.

Ms. Yi
Assistant Director
Zhanjiang City Children's Welfare Institute