A Good Start Scaling up Access to Quality Services for young Roma children High-Level Event on Roma inclusion 23 May, 2011, Slovakia A GOOD START With support from the European Union

'A Good Start' project - Main Goals to scale-up access to quality ECEC services for disadvantaged Roma children to raise early childhood development outcomes for Roma children so as to enhance their school readiness and subsequent life opportunities to influence the improvement of the policy framework through complex dissemination activities to use different monitoring and evaluation methods Roma NGOs work with experts, international organisations, local governments A GOOD START With support from the European Union

Framework 4 countries, 16 locations, selection criteria: socio- economic factors, previous experiences 24 months: 5 June 2010 – 5 June 2012 Roma involvement in all level 3 international partners: - International Step by Step Association (ISSA) - Fundación Secretariado Gitano (FSG) - Slovak Governance Institute (SGI) 12 implementing local partners, mainly Roma NGOs A GOOD START With support from the European Union

Beneficiaries Target: Direct beneficiaries: children, Roma and non-Roma, 0-6 years old explicit, but not exclusive targeting recurring beneficiaries -- repeated interventions/ several separate project activities: 1950 children Indirect beneficiaries: (parents, sisters and brothers, Roma experts, activists at the local partner) A GOOD START With support from the European Union

Number of recurring beneficiaries in the localities A GOOD START With support from the European Union

Slovakia: urban: Martin, Banska Bystrica rural: Abranovce, Zborov Romania: urban: Craiova-Mofleni rural: Telechiu Macedonia: urban: Skopje-Šuto Orizari, Vinica, rural: Trabotivište, Crnik Hungary: urban: Nyíregyháza, rural: Mátészalka microregion (Hodász, Nagyecsed, Nagydobos, Kántorjánosi, Nyírkáta) Mapping the project A GOOD START With support from the European Union

MAPPING THE PROJECT

Commonalities across target countries - Roma have low levels of access to early childhood services compared to the overall population. - Ministerial and government responsibilities are fragmented. - Poor quality of data about the situation of Roma. - Structural Funds to support interventions for Roma in SK, RO, HU, however, this is not available for early childhood services. Common features General approach, core set of activities Covering a range of development dimensions A GOOD START With support from the European Union

Differences across target countries The policy environment varies in the target countries Policies and programs targeting different groups of children The quality and availability of early childhood services varies both within and across countries Different partnership arrangements in each country Around the core set of activities different approaches have been developed in the countries. A GOOD START With support from the European Union

Components: A) implementation: integrated interventions home-, community-, center-based interventions B) monitoring and evaluation scheme, dissemination key policy papers and good practice guides to the European Commission Implementation

Component A - Implementation of activities Designed on the basis of baseline surveys/needs assessment outreach: SK, RO, MAC, HU train community mediators: SK, RO, MAC, HU home visits: SK, RO, MAC, HU community events on health, education: SK, RO, MAC, HU enrollment assistance to ECEC institutions: SK, RO, MAC, HU accompaniment to kindergarten/ primary school: SK open house – kindergarten/ primary school: SK work with health and teacher assistants: SK, RO, MAC, HU Home-Preschool-Community-Liaison program: HU A GOOD START With support from the European Union

Component A - Implementation of activities Designed on the basis of baseline surveys/needs assessment need-based material support (clothes, school bags): SK, RO Your Story program – early and family literacy program: HU equip community centers: RO enrollment fee/tuition fee, transportation: SK, RO, MAC practice module for college students: HU psychologist, pediatrician, speech therapist: RO awareness raising, leaflets, media: SK, RO, MAC, HU apply for official documentation and birth certificate: MAC A GOOD START With support from the European Union

Goal Activity Result (Component A) Goal: raise ECD outcomes for Roma so as to enhance their school readiness and subsequent life opportunities Activity: new kindergarten class + alternative pedagogical programme for the youngest in Zborov, SK, Telechiu, RO, Craiova, RO; transportation from home to kindergarten and back; material support (clothes, shoes, school supplies, etc.); accompaniment for children; Result: capacity problems solved in the localities; improved attendance in the ECD institutions; increased access to quality education A GOOD START With support from the European Union

Goal Activity Result (Component A) Goal: raise ECD outcomes for Roma so as to enhance their school readiness and subsequent life opportunities Activity: regular home visits after needs assessments; community motivation events on education and on health; accompaniment for children; Result: improved relationship between the kindergarten staff and the parents; improved knowledge and practice of early health and nutrition care A GOOD START With support from the European Union

Goal Activity Result (Component A) Goal: raise ECD outcomes for Roma so as to enhance their school readiness and subsequent life opportunities Activity: Your Story program (early family literacy program) for mothers; provide parenting education; Result: increased understanding of importance and knowledge of early stimulation and education; regular use of the books; improved reading and writing competences of mothers; community for marginalized Roma mothers; A GOOD START With support from the European Union

Goal Activity Result (Component A) Goal: raise ECD outcomes for Roma so as to enhance their school readiness and subsequent life opportunities Activity: in service training on child-centered methodology; pre service training for college students, practice at AGS sites; Result: teaching quality is improved in the ECD institutions; involvement and understanding of students from the teacher training college; better relationship between Roma and non-Roma; A GOOD START With support from the European Union

Component B - Monitoring and evaluation Community Assessment - baseline of information Household Survey Questionnaire Data collection in the family home, 2 times, data to be entered into an online database Indicator worksheet/ Progress Report Continuum for Assessing Caregivers Database of children Case studies A GOOD START With support from the European Union

Reseach finding1 Based on the first application of the Household Survey Questionnaire interviews by AGS local partners, which covered 1,694 children Boys and girls are equally likely to be among the AGS recurring beneficiary families. The majority of AGS families live in a segregated neighborhood, most children come from poor families. 4% of mothers and 19% of fathers are employed. 4 out of 10 children are reported to be enrolled in institutional ECEC services. A GOOD START With support from the European Union

Reseach finding2

Reseach finding3

- Quality services offered to beneficiary children - Improved access and improved attendance of Roma children in the ECD institutions - Delivered material support for children and equipments for kindergartens and community centers - Increased understanding of importance and knowledge of early stimulation and education - High level of satisfaction of the participants - The first round of the survey took place - Monitoring and evaluation system is in place Overall results up to now A GOOD START With support from the European Union

Thank you for your attention! Costel Bercus Chair of the Board of the Roma Education Fund A GOOD START With support from the European Union