Hyderabad, June 20: Sesame Workshop India Trust, in collaboration with the Department of Women Development and Child Welfare, Government of Telangana, unveils the Daddy Cool chatbot, “Bol Daddy Bol” in Hyderabad, marking an important step toward strengthening father engagement in early childhood development across Telangana. Supported by the Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies Foundation, the initiative combines community-based workshops with digital learning tools through a phygital approach, enabling fathers and caregivers to access parenting support in ways that are flexible, accessible, and culturally relevant.
The event, held at the Commissionerate of Women Development & Child Welfare in Ameerpet, Hyderabad, brought together representatives from Sesame Workshop India Trust, implementation teams, and fathers participating in the Daddy Cool program. Representatives from Sesame Workshop India Trust included Sonali Khan, Sanyam Sharma, Noorul Haque, Samuel John, members of the Telangana implementation team, and program representatives associated with the Daddy Cool initiative. Fathers enrolled in the Daddy Cool cohort also participated in the launch event and interacted with officials and program teams.
The Bol Daddy Bol chatbot has been designed to provide fathers and caregivers with easy access to parenting-related information, child development guidance, and behaviour change communication content that encourages positive parenting, responsive caregiving, and meaningful father–child interactions. As part of the broader Daddy Cool initiative, the program works to challenge long-standing stereotypes around caregiving by encouraging fathers to participate more actively in their children’s emotional, social, and cognitive development. Through localized workshops and teaching-learning materials available in Telugu and Hindi, fathers are introduced to playful learning, storytelling, emotional engagement, positive discipline, and nurturing care practices that can be integrated into everyday family life.
During the event, government officials also interacted directly with fathers participating in the Daddy Cool program, engaging in conversations around their experiences from the workshops and the changes they observed in their relationships with their children. Fathers from the cohort shared their learnings and reflected on how the initiative encouraged them to become more involved in caregiving, play, and emotional engagement at home.
Speaking on the occasion, Sonali Khan, Managing Trustee, Sesame Workshop India Trust, said:
“At Sesame Workshop India, we believe that children thrive when caregiving becomes a shared journey. Through Daddy Cool and the launch of the Bol Daddy Bol chatbot in Telangana, we are creating more opportunities for fathers to actively participate in their children’s early learning, emotional wellbeing, and everyday moments of joy. By combining community-based engagement with accessible digital tools in local languages, this initiative aims to make positive parenting support more inclusive, relatable, and sustainable for families across communities.”
During the event, fathers participating in the Daddy Cool program shared their experiences from the workshops and reflected on how the initiative encouraged them to become more involved in caregiving, play, and emotional engagement at home.
The event also featured discussions around strengthening father engagement through community-based approaches, digital tools, and localized parenting support systems.
The initiative aims to:
• Promote father involvement in early childhood care, learning, and development.
• Strengthen collaboration between the Government of Telangana and Sesame Workshop India for community-based parenting initiatives.
• Showcase the use of digital and chatbot-based platforms for behaviour change communication and parent engagement.
• Encourage positive parenting and nurturing care practices within families and communities.