The World Health Organization and UNICEF in collaboration with partners have developed the Nurturing Care Handbook. Like the Nurturing Care Framework, the Handbook is organized around five strategic actions. There is a separate guide for each and Start Here is designed to work in combination with any – or all – of them. For each strategic action, the guides include: overviews, suggested actions, common barriers, tools and checklists for common tasks, indicators for monitoring progress, links to helpful articles and websites, and case studies, showing how governments and other stakeholders around the world can put nurturing care into practice. We recommend you read the Start Here guide first as it provides a general orientation. The remaining five guides can be read in any order.
This publication incorporates feedback provided on a draft version of the Handbook released in January 2021.
This Handbook is part of a set of resources to support implementation of the Nurturing Care Framework. For a summary of available resources see this brochure.

Start Here

This is the orientation to the Nurturing Care Handbook. It provides an overview of how the Handbook works, what nurturing care is, and how to get started. It also includes practical advice on working in programme cycles, engaging all stakeholders, and doing advocacy.

Lead and Invest

This guide corresponds to the first strategic action in the Nurturing Care Framework. The other four strategic actions depend on Lead and Invest, making it essential for any national initiative that supports nurturing care. This guide explores how to do governance, planning, and financing.

Focus on Families and Communities

This guide corresponds to the second strategic action in the Nurturing Care Framework. This guide explores how to listen to families, encourage communities, and use the media.

Strengthen Services

This guide corresponds to the third strategic action in the Nurturing Care Framework. This guide explores how to build systems, improve the workforce, and provide three-level support.

Monitor Progress

This guide corresponds to the fourth strategic action in the Nurturing Care Framework. This guide explores how to monitor populations, implementation, and individual children’s development.

Scale Up and Innovate

This guide corresponds to the fifth strategic action in the Nurturing Care Framework. This guide explores how to expand programmes, engage with the private sector, and use digital solutions.