Green Pine Clinic (GPC) was established at 06/08/2013 following the Decision No. 1150/SYT-GPHD issued by Ha Noi Department of Health. GPC is a part of the Research and Training Centre for Community Development (RTCCD).
RTCCD is a community-based pioneer non-governmental organization (NGO) in Vietnam, operating in maternal and child mental health care and in early child development through long-term research programs and intervention projects in collaboration with international universities and clinics in Australia, Canada, United States, and Sweden. Due to our experience in research and clinical services, we believe that parents and society should care not only for physical but also mental and emotional development and promote a child’s pro-activeness, creativity, and ability to establish healthy social relationships
Literature review shave well documented that children who receive early care achieve better grades in schools, gain a higher income as adults, and overall lead more fulfilled lives. A research in the United States found that the return on every dollar invested in early life accounts to around $17 in benefits. Other benefits in the long term include
- Longer education
- Being more active and independent in daily life
- Better relationship between parents and children
- Lower crime rates
In previous years, health programs in Vietnam were focused only on physical development through prevention of malnutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and infection diseases, while mental health care was completely neglected. Our society has not paid enough attention to analytical skill development, characteristic development, and social and life skill education. As a result, an alarming extent of school violence and juvenile crime occurs on a daily basis and as such has been reported by newspapers.
With community development perspectives in mind, RTCCD established GPC to support parents and caregivers with knowledge and skills in early childhood care and development.