Post on 27-Mar-2015
Ensuring integrated and inclusive Early Childhood Education and
Care
Context: Romania
• Large Roma population: 619,000 (census) – over 2 million (est.).
Poverty rates in Romania
Context: Education• Only 3% Roma children
attending ante-preschool services (crèches)
• Enrolment rate of Roma children in pre-school education lower than national average by 40%
• 45% of the ones that do not complete gymnasium have never been enrolled in kindergarten and crèches
• Bi-lingualism is widespread – children from Romani-speaking families tend to start Romanian in pre-school
• Poor school performance is the lead cause of drop outs
Pre-school attendance
UNDP/World Bank/European Commission regional Roma survey data
Regional Context
• 15% of Roma children under the age of 14 are not vaccinated compared to 4% of children from non Roma households*
• 61% of Roma reported malnutrition* compared with 11% non-Roma
• Share of the population not having access to secure housing: 27% of Roma compared with 4% of non-Roma* Child (aged 0-6) vaccination rates in the countries of Central and
Southeast Europe in 2011
*UNDP/World Bank/European Commission regional Roma survey data
Investing in Early Childhood Education and Care
• Extreme poverty and malnutrition in young age have lasting negative effects on subsequent health and development
• Early intervention is more effective and less costly than later remediation
• EU framework: Communications on ECEC and Social Investment package, EU Roma Framework etc
Strategies – at the local level
Model interventions that are:
•Integrated: social, health, education
•Inclusive
•Building on existing structures (esp. school and health mediators)
•Involving parents and communities
•Promoting Roma role models
Strategies – at the national level
• Influencing policies, laws and strategies
• Generating evidence: evaluate models, document lessons learned
• Mobilising resources to facilitate scaling of relevant models
Multifunctional center for early childhood development
Why?
-Limited access for pre-school and ECEC services, esp. in rural areas and for Roma children -Limited competency of the staff, high turn-over-Lack of adequate facilities and methodologies-Significant focus on children surveillance rather on children development
Where?
-Disadvantaged rural areas -Existing kindergartens and crèches-Multi-ethnic communities with significant Roma population
Multi-functional center for early childhood development
Where?
-Disadvantaged rural areas -Existing kindergartens and crèches-Multi-ethnic communities with significant Roma population
Multi-functional center for early childhood development
What?
-Holistic approch of the child development : education, health, nutrition, protection and parenting-Equal chances for all children through personalized education-Child-centered education-Sustainable at community level-Playing together, growing together, living together
How?
•Building a partnership with local authorities•Building multi-disciplinary teams (pediatrician, nurse, educator, psychologist, social worker)
•Increase parental competences: from pre-natal period continuing to first years of child’s life
•Increase accessibility of disadvantaged children - financial support (cost of meals)
•A Local Group becomes resource persons within the community regarding childcare and education.
Multi-functional center for early childhood development
Results
-Model: 17 centers developed, with start-up costs estimated at € 5,000-For each class of 20 children there are 5 Roma children fully integrated with all costs supported by local community-Multi-disciplinary teams in place-Parents participating as volunteers-Communities aware and fully involved in the Centers-Guide to establish Multifunctional Centers developed and distributed-Model expanded to 200 communities through a grant from OSI
Multi-functional center for early childhood development
The way forward:
•Further documentation and evaluation of the model•Integration of the model within larger social inclusion interventions targeting vulnerable populations •Advocate for the model to be included and further scaled-up as part of the relevant national strategies: Strategy for Roma Inclusion, Social Inclusion and Poverty Alleviation Strategy, Early Childhood Education Plan, Health Strategy•Further resource mobilization: approaching EEA Norway grants and EU structural funds
Multi-functional center for early childhood development
THANK YOU!MULȚUMESC!