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Description
The project will provide support to children from vulnerable groups, including Roma communities in early childhood and their families to improve access to health care, develop parenting skills, improve the family environment, increase school readiness for children. inclusion in the education system, with the aim of reducing the transmission of intergenerational poverty.The comprehensive integrated measures are aimed at improving access to education, health protection and development of social skills for children aged 0-6, who do not attend and do not have access to kindergarten or nursery, live in isolated poor areas with a concentration of problems creating a risk of poverty, social exclusion and marginalization. The target groups of the project are children aged 0 to 6 years and their parents, as well as future parents from risk groups living in the municipality of Gorna Oryahovitsa. As a result of the implementation of the project is expected an increase in the number of children who received support through the services. The project activities will involve 320 children from vulnerable social groups, as well as 420 parents and future parents from all settlements of Gorna Oryahovitsa municipality. The place of provision of the service will be in the established community complex (hubs), respectively in the town of Gorna Oryahovitsa, Varbitsa village, Gorna Oryahovitsa and Draganovo village.
Summary of project results
The problems/challenges that had to be solved during the implementation of the project were to provide inclusion of the target group of the project to the social environment; to educate and guide parents to make a decision to enroll their children in nursery school or kindergarten; to improve communication between parent and child; and to improve health culture.
A Community Complex (hub) for early childhood development and parental support “Bojur” was created in the town of Gorna Oryahovitsa, Varbitsa village and Draganovo village. The premises of the three complexes were renovated. After equipping the kitchen in the Gorna Oryahovitsa hub, the provision of food to consumers began. Social, pedagogical, psychological and health support was provided to children aged 0 to 6 years from families from vulnerable groups. The achieved results and their impact involved 322 children covered by the project and their parents.
The project achieved improved communication of children, better communication with peers and adults; better health culture; some of the children learned how to write letters and numbers; some of the children started attending nursery/kindergarten; communication between parent and child has visibly improved; the children included in the project learned new games and songs.
Summary of bilateral results
The program provided knowledge on how the senior teachers and their assistants in Norwegian kindergartens work with children, i.e. that teachers have a friendly approach to the children, but also manage to maintain their authority. They emphasize on educational games. The children are "let loose" but at the same time they are disciplined and know their schedule. All this refers to the Scandinavian method of education - a focus on playing, learning in a free environment, cooperation between children (rather than developing competition), child-teacher interaction, encouraging own initiative, concentration and taking responsibility for their own actions. It was agreed that this useful approach can be implemented also in Bulgarian education institutions and have beneficial effect on children''s development.