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Description
The overall objective of the project proposal is to provide support to children in early childhood and their families from vulnerable groups in the municipality of Lom, mainly from Roma communities to improve access to health care, develop parenting skills, improve the family environment, increase the school readiness of children for inclusion in the educational system, with the aim of reducing the transmission of poverty between generations.
The specific objectives of the project proposal are:
- To create, integrate, develop and upgrade 3 functionally connected hubs (one mobile, with an emphasis on the Humata neighborhood, as the most territorially remote and practically outside regulation) for providing functionally connected services for education and care at an early age for children from the target groups and their parents to:
- To provide support for children in early childhood and support for access to education;
- Improve access to social and health services for children from vulnerable groups;
- Support the transition from a family to a formal educational environment.
- To develop a model for the complex integrated measures that will be provided for improving the access to education, health protection and development of social skills for children aged 0 - 6 in the municipality;
- To pilot in the general framework a model for social-emotional learning, a model of an innovative social service for piloting practices for early learning in the home environment and the model "Toy Library".
- To ensure the active involvement of the community of the municipality in the planning and implementation of the measures;
- To share good practices with organizations working in early childhood development and to strengthen bilateral relations between Bulgaria and Norway.
Summary of project results
The main issues that had to be solved by the project can be grouped into the following three groups:
ISSUES RELATED TO THE TARGET GROUPS:
1. Children age 0-6: a) low social and educational status, especially for children in the neighborhoods of Lom municipality that are not regulated; b) no or insufficient alternative forms for including children in educational and socializing activities; and c) low health status: irregular preventive examinations of children, omission of mandatory immunizations, poor prevention of diseases and disabilities, late identification in determining the high requirements.
2. Parents, guardians, prospective parents or primary caregivers of children in the primary target group: a) low parents’ awareness; b) no additional support for families, i.e., psychological, motivation to overcome psycho-social stress, mediation of the institutions and administration, material and household, etc.; and c) low self-esteem and no motivation for realization among parents and communities in general.
ISSUES RELATED TO HUMAN RESOURCES WORKING IN THE HUBS: a) no working experience with children 0-6 and their parents; b) no basic knowledge about early childhood development and the enormous importance of this period for the future realization of each child; and c) no experience in inter-institutional cooperation and teamwork.
ISSUES RELATED TO THE FACILITIES FOR WORK IN THE FIELD OF EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT: a) no suitable premises; b) no appropriate equipment; and c) no support materials for effective work on early childhood development.
By the project implementation the following general and specific goals were achieved: 1) Piloting a model for early childhood development of children 0-6 from Roma communities in Lom municipality including 3 hubs for early childhood development that provide complex integrated measures to improve access to education, healthcare and social skill development; 2) Piloting a Social and Emotional Learning Program, an innovative social service model for piloting early learning practices in home settings, and the Toy Library model; 3) The active involvement of the community was ensured by the municipality during the planning and implementation of the measures, mainly by providing the management of the 3 hubs to the Roma Lom Foundation team; and 4) Good practices were shared with organizations working in early childhood development and a sustainable partnership was developed with the Norwegian organization SAVE A CHILD.
The main results and impacts of the project implementation are: 1) A suitable facility was created for the model and three hubs functioning. Access of the target groups to quality services was ensured; 2) A professional team of specialists was created, which functions will continue by providing all services introduced; 3) 446 children 0-6 and 201 parents benefited directly from the early childhood education and care activities, which resulted in increased skills and knowledge of Bulgarian language, support by providing of clothes and shoes, people included in creative activities for social inclusion, health services received, increased social-emotional skills and school readiness; and 4) Models introduced for early learning in home settings; the “Game@element” model; the Toy Library model; parent sharing groups that increase the capacity of the hubs to provide quality and needed services.
Summary of bilateral results
The bilateral activities have led to the achievement of the following results: 1. Report on the research of successful practices and models for early childhood development in Norway; 2. A visit to Norway by 4 Bulgarian project staff and their familiarization with the best early childhood development practices in the donor state; 3) Report prepared by participants in the visit with attached materials on the observed practices and models; and 4) Four online conferences held to discuss the concept, methodology and current implementation of the project with the participation of a total of 20 experts from both countries. Based on the project staff familiarization with the leading models in Norway and other countries, the novel model in Bulgaria will receive significant support through relevant information and create a database that will allow to build on and develop what has been started after the completion of the project activities. Building and strengthening the relationship with the donor state have given impetus to the local government officials to seek institutional and financial development of the model and the three hubs through their own resources or by seeking alternative external sources.