Blog by Oluwatosin Akingbulu, Advocacy Specialist (Parenting and Play), UNICEF.
March 13, 2026 – From January 15–16, 2026, the halls of La Caixa Forum in Madrid, Spain, were bustling with energy as more than 300 participants from 37 countries—government leaders, civil society actors, private-sector partners, researchers, and advocates—gathered for the first-ever Global Caregiver Forum. For two days, caregiving took center stage, with conversations highlighting caregiving as a public good essential to health, well-being, and social progress.
Convened by UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Government of Spain, the organizers set out with a clear purpose: to elevate universal access to parenting support as a global priority across the life course. Supported by partners including the Global Initiative to Support Parents (GISP) and the LEGO Foundation, and presided over by Her Majesty Queen Letizia of Spain, the event signaled a rare and powerful alignment of political will, evidence, and lived experience.
Opening the Forum, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus named a truth long overlooked. Caregiving, he said, is “one of the most essential but overlooked foundations of health and well-being,” sustained by a workforce that is vital to every health system yet too often invisible.
The crucial role of caregiving was reinforced by UNICEF’s Deputy Executive Director, Kitty van der Heijden and echoed by ministers and partners from across the globe. At the heart of her message was a simple but profound reminder: “What children need to thrive in dignity is love, safety, and a nurturing environment.” Parenting support, participants agreed, is not a luxury or an optional add-on—it is central to children’s ability to survive and flourish.
Across plenary sessions and panels, ministers shared experiences from their own countries, highlighting innovations, reforms, and lessons. Despite differing contexts, a common consensus emerged: evidence-based parenting support is not just “nice to have.” It is a cornerstone of family well-being and community resilience and is one of the most cost-effective investments governments can make for better long-term social and economic outcomes.
Science was the backbone of this consensus. Global thought leaders, including Dr. Lisa Damour and Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, translated decades of research into compelling human stories. Drawing on evidence, speakers showed how parenting support programs can reduce violence against children, improve physical and mental health outcomes, and strengthen educational and social trajectories well into adulthood. The message was clear: when caregivers are supported, everyone benefits.
A defining moment of the Forum came with the endorsement of Every Child Safe, Loved, and Nurtured: Global Caregiver Forum Outcome Document. The document captures a shared vision and sets out concrete commitments to scale evidence-based parenting support (EBPS) worldwide. Seven countries initially endorsed the document, with more in the process of doing so—a tangible sign of growing political momentum. Throughout the Forum, government leaders spoke openly about their intention to expand and institutionalize parenting support within national systems.
As a moderator of one of the panel sessions, I had a front-row seat to the power of these conversations. What stood out most to me was the passion these leaders expressed for prioritizing parenting support and their enthusiasm to drive real change. The discussions highlighted that sustained advocacy and cross-sector collaboration are key to making progress.
The Global Caregiver Forum closed with a shared understanding that this historic gathering was not an endpoint, but a beginning. It laid out the groundwork for a global roadmap toward universal access to parenting support, including ambitions for a future UN summit and resolution. The work ahead is substantial—but so is the opportunity. The call to action is clear: translate evidence into action, commitments into systems, and global momentum into real support for caregivers everywhere, so that every child, in every context, can grow up safe, loved, and nurtured.