Early Childhood: Generating Social Prosperity

Annual Report 2025

Index

PROJECT

Partner organization
Hospital Pequeno Príncipe (HPP)

Territory / Region
Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil, with regional reach through hospital-based care

Support Period
2024–2026

In 2024, Instituto Tecendo Infâncias began a partnership with Hospital Pequeno Príncipe (HPP), the largest exclusively pediatric institution in Brazil and a national reference in child health, through the project “Early Childhood: Generating Social Prosperity,” integrated into the Primeiríssima Infância Program.

The project aims to expand services for children aged 0 to 3 and their caregivers through activities carried out in hospital wards and patient rooms, such as workshops, reading mediation, music activities, play, shantala massage, and relaxation practices. These actions focus on strengthening emotional bonds, promoting child development, and supporting both physical and emotional care.

Since its inception, the initiative has continued to advance and consolidate results. Key actions include the hiring of new educators dedicated to early childhood services, the delivery of training programs to strengthen the hospital’s humanization practices, and the integration of approaches that value the bond between children, families, and healthcare teams.

In addition, Primeiríssima Infância Program provides educational booklets with guidance on child development in the early years of life, covering topics such as nutrition, play, and Shantala massage. The Institute’s support made it possible to update these materials and expand their distribution, reaching thousands of families.

In 2025, activities continued to be implemented with the participation of caregivers in workshops, group discussions, and practical sessions, expanding their caregiving repertoire and strengthening emotional bonds.

This set of actions resulted in 1,151 service interactions and the delivery of 32 workshops on toy-making, play, and music activities, benefiting 2,121 children in early childhood and their caregivers, and reinforcing the centrality of holistic care at this stage of life.

At the same time, progress was made in systematizing the project’s methodology, with monthly records of service delivery and the ongoing development of a resource that may serve as a reference for training processes and for the future replication of the initiative in partner institutions.

The initiative has become a recognized model of child-centered hospital care in early childhood, demonstrating that low-cost, relationship-centered interventions can generate meaningful impacts on children’s well-being, strengthen families’ trust, and inspire public policies.

The partnership reaffirms the importance of integrating health and early childhood development, showing how hospital environments can become spaces for holistic care and the promotion of rights, placing early childhood at the center of building a more just future.

"Managing this project has been a deeply transformative experience, filled with daily learning and inspiration. At times, I find myself moved to tears listening to the educators' stories, or simply walking through the hallways and witnessing the workshops and activities they lead. The team is exceptionally skilled, attentive, and sensitive to the families' needs, offering genuine care and support through the doubts and challenges unique to such a delicate stage of life. It is an honor for me to be part of a project that is so essential to both the institution and the families we serve—contributing not only on an administrative level, but also as someone genuinely touched by the human and emotional impact this work creates every single day."

“During a session with a mother of a child with severe neurological impairments, with no motor, speech, or expressive responses, I began a conversation about Early Childhood, addressing the importance of emotional bonding even in situations of significant clinical limitations. The mother showed great interest in the topic, especially when we spoke about the power of presence, touch, and emotional connection with her child. At that moment, I had the kantele instrument with me, and at the mother’s request, I began a brief musical intervention, playing and softly singing to the child. Surprisingly, the child turned toward me and smiled, something that, according to the mother, had never happened before. The unexpected reaction brought a strong emotional response: the mother was deeply moved, cried, and expressed her gratitude for the experience, saying that this moment would stay with her forever. This session reinforces the impact of sensory and affective practices in humanized care, showing how simple interventions, when well contextualized, can create meaningful experiences for families, even in challenging clinical settings.”

Observed Results in 2024–2025

2024 (first year of partnership):

A total of 3,118 early childhood care sessions were provided, of which 1,213 were conducted by professionals funded through the project, exceeding the initial expansion target by 30%.
A total of 44 workshops on music, play, toys, and artistic activities, with 923 participants.
Reprinting and updating educational materials, including booklets, informational panels, and brochures on topics such as breastfeeding and Shantala infant massage.

2025 (second year of the partnership):

A total of 2,685 early childhood care sessions were provided, of which 1,151 were conducted by professionals funded through the project, representing 43% of all care sessions.
A total of 32 workshops on toys, play, and music activities were held, with 989 participants.
A total of 2,121 children and their families benefited from the project’s activities, including care sessions and workshop participation.
Training of 19 professionals, strengthening humanized care practices in the hospital setting.
Distribution of educational and awareness materials, including 1,200 booklets, 600 brochures, and 20 rotating posters in hospital rooms, reaching approximately 5,000 family members with practical guidance on early childhood care and enhancing the impact of the initiative.
Approximately 16% of the families served live below the poverty line, reinforcing the project’s commitment to equity and to supporting vulnerable populations.
Initiation of the methodology documentation process to support future replication of the initiative in other healthcare institutions.