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!