| Event | IDPA 2025 Congress |
| Date | 1-4 December 2025 |
| Languages | English and Spanish |
| Location | Barcelo Hotel, Guatemala City, Guatemala |
Description
This international event hosted by the International Developmental Pediatrics Association Congress will bring together participants from multiple disciplines, including all aspects of service delivery from research to child development and developmental disabilities: developmental pediatricians, pediatrics, family medicine, public health, child mental health, disability, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, child development and education, early intervention, special education, social services, advocacy and policy.
In previous years, the IDPA Congress has been held in Turkey, India, the Philippines, Lebanon (virtual), and South Africa. This is the first time the Congress will be held in Latin America, and the hosts are looking forward to broad regional participation.
The Congress theme will be ‘Equity and Opportunities for All Children’, with a special focus on ‘Caring for Children from Indigenous and Minority Communities’, given that Latin America has one of the largest indigenous populations in the world.
Recognizing the structural barriers that children with disabilities face in accessing healthcare, the conference will also foster collaboration with organizations of persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples with disabilities, and disability experts. This initiative aims to empower the voices of persons with disabilities and break down barriers to equitable healthcare, ensuring that no child is left behind.
Wuqu’ Kawoq / the Maya Health Alliance will serve as the local organizing partner for the Congress. Wuqu’ Kawoq is a nonprofit organization in Guatemala working to provide health services with linguistic and cultural competence to women, children and families from Indigenous and rural communities in Guatemala. IDPA is a professional society whose mission is to achieve equity in developmental pediatrics and related services for children and families around the world.
IDPA estimates that 500-600 delegates from Guatemala, Latin American, and the global community will participate in the Congress. A special focus of all IDPA Congresses is that all work presented at the Congress must be conducted in low- or middle-income countries (LMICs). This creates a unique space for important voices and perspectives not usually represented in international early childhood conferences.
The Congress agenda will include pre-conference workshops designed to augment the skills of professionals from LMICS, a main conference providing a space for sharing and learning, and mentorship dinners that provide opportunities to early career professionals to be mentored by experts from the global south and north.
Further information
