The Brazilian city of Recife has opened three new “Bebetecas” – baby libraries, containing books, toys and materials to stimulate the creativity and curiosity of infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers, with trained employees holding weekly groups and guiding caregivers in how to interact positively with their young children. These activities will be evaluated after three months with the aim of expanding them further.
Photo: Courtesy of Clariane Ferraz
Deborah Echeverria, who manages the project for the municipal administration, says:
“It is a pedagogical, educational space, even more for parents than for children, so that they understand the importance of this stimulus in the first years of life.”
The Bebetecas – based in Community Peace Centres of the non-governmental organisation Compaz – are an initiative of the Projeto Primeiro a Infância of Recife’s Agency for Innovation and Strategy (ARIES), with support from the Bernard van Leer Foundation.
Local media covered the opening of the first Bebeteca with an event that featured storytelling, ballet, music and magic. Read more (in Portuguese) on our Urban95 Brazil website.
Photo: Courtesy of Clariane Ferraz
