Description
In Romania there are many disabled children, especially infants, who have limited access to assessment, therapy and education, because of their families and the community, or due to limited number of services and the low level of training of professionals. We will improve the quality of life of these children and their families by developing specialized services and by increasing the skills and knowledge of professional from these services and professionals from community. Implementation of the project will lead to increased organizational capacity for Inocenti Foundation. In 24 months we will develop a multifunctional center and a mobile team, we will provide training to professionals from the program and to the network of professionals from community that will do prevention, early identification and intervention, and we will create a resource center. The beneficiaries are children with neuropsychomotor disabilities, aged between 0 and 7 years old, their families and the specialists.
Summary of project results
In Romania, children with disabilities and/or developmental delays, especially infants, have limited access to early intervention services (such as evaluation, therapy and education). This situation is caused by the limited number of specialised services and specialists with qualification and expertise in early intervention methods and techniques. Families do not have information in this area and end up feeling embarrassed to have a different child, this leading to neglecting children with disabilities within the community. In the framework of the project, a multifunctional Early Intervention Centre was modernised and equipped and 80 children (aged 0-7 years old) with neuro, psychological and motor disabilities were provided with services (evaluation and re-evaluation, rehabilitation therapy and educational activities). Also, their parents received information about children’s condition, counselling and training to become co-therapists (being actively involved in children’s rehabilitation). Services were provided both within the centre and at home by a mobile team of specialists. A key success factor consisted in increasing specialists’ knowledge and expertise by transferring know-how from project partners. Together with AHEAD Norway (Association in Hincesti for Education, Aid and Development) and Voinicel Early Intervention Centre from the Republic of Moldova, there were provided trainings to specialists who are in direct contact with babies and children in their communities and a network for early identification and intervention was developed. 146 physiotherapists, psychologists, speech therapists, social workers, educators, family doctors received training on topics such as: the causes of child’s developmental delays and their early detection, prevention of atypical development, evaluation of child development, principles of early intervention. An international conference on early intervention in cases of children with disabilities was organised, and over 130 participants form the country and abroad attended (social workers and medical doctors received professional credits for participating). An online specialised platform on early intervention topics was developed for interested stakeholders (specialists, parents, NGOs etc.). An Early Intervention Manual was edited and printed in 100 copies and posted on the website.
Summary of bilateral results
The partnership with AHEAD organisation from Norway helped the project promoter to finalise the design of the early intervention program and to understand some essential elements and principles of its operation, such as the important role of the extended family involvement throughout the course of the therapeutic intervention for the child. Extremely helpful and efficient was also the training organised by the physiotherapist Reidun Brigitta Jahnsen, member of AHEAD. She facilitated a two-days training for 22 professionals of the project promoter and partner General Department for Social Assistance and Child Protection, on the topic „The impact of early intervention over the life of the child”. Also, Ane Lillian Tveit, the president of AHEAD, participated in the international conference in Bistrita, organised by Inocenti Foundation in 2016, where she delivered a presentation in the opening of the event, with the topic: "How to develop a sustainable project". The best result of the collaboration was the exchange visit organised in Norway, which allowed the project promoter and its partner from Romania to visit the Center for rare diseases in Frambu. Thanks to this visit and the contacts that were established then, the project promoter implemented a follow-up project in the framework of the Bilateral Funds (Measure b).