Tenderness Becomes National Public Policy
The Balm of Tenderness methodology, developed by World Vision, has been officially integrated into Peru’s national parenting policy, marking a historic milestone in promoting protective, violence-free family environments.
Through Ministerial Resolution No. 020-2026-MIMP, the Peruvian government approved the Methodological Guide for Workshops on the Promotion of Positive Parenting Practices, incorporating the Balm of Tenderness methodology as its technical foundation. This guide is designed to support parents and caregivers in setting boundaries without violence, healing emotional wounds, and strengthening bonds of trust within the home.
The collaboration between World Vision and the State began in 2023 and was consolidated through a sustained process of technical coordination, transforming a community-based approach into an official nationwide tool. The methodology is rooted in direct work with families across different regions of the country, drawing on lived experiences shaped by violence, neglect, or a lack of support networks.
In many households across Peru and Latin America, physical and humiliating punishment is still considered a form of discipline. However, evidence shows that violence in parenting leaves lasting effects on children’s mental health, learning, and future relationships. In response, the Balm of Tenderness approach invites adults to reflect on their own childhood experiences, identify learned patterns, and build new ways of relating grounded in tenderness, respect, and trust.
The policy approved by the Ministry of Women and Vulnerable Populations applies to all public and private institutions working with children, adolescents, and families, including Residential Care Centres, Street Educator programmes, WARMIÑAN services, and other community-based initiatives, particularly in rural areas. The guide can also be integrated into educational and teacher training spaces, expanding its reach to schools and communities.
This approach is expected to positively impact more than 9.7 million children and adolescents across the country, from early childhood through adolescence.
As part of its technical contribution, World Vision Peru has trained 63 Community Mental Health Centres across seven regions (Cusco, Áncash, La Libertad, Ayacucho, Huancavelica, Lima, and Loreto), reaching 135 professionals who are certified or in the process of certification, thereby strengthening the public system’s capacity to support more families.
“Having Balm of Tenderness as the core approach of this national policy is a decisive step forward. With this policy, Peru positions itself at the forefront of using tenderness as a tool for healing and transformation for future generations,” said Sandra Contreras, National Director of World Vision Peru.
With its integration into public policy, World Vision reaffirms that protecting children is not only about responding to violence but preventing it at its root—through the way we raise, accompany, and care for children.
Read the methodological guide here.