‘A Good Start’
Scaling up Access to Quality Services for young Roma children
High-Level Event on Roma inclusion23 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 NGO’s 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: 4.000 children, Roma and non-Roma, 0-6
years old → explicit, but not exclusive targetingrecurring beneficiaries -- repeated interventions/ several separate project activities: 1950 children
Indirect beneficiaries: 11.000 (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
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
Number of beneficiaries
Localities
“A GOOD START” With support from the European Union
Slovakia:urban: Martin, Banska Bystricarural: Abranovce, ZborovRomania: urban: Craiova-Moflenirural: Telechiu Macedonia:urban: Skopje-Šuto Orizari, Vinica, rural: Trabotivište, CrnikHungary: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 featuresGeneral 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
“A GOOD START” With support from the European Union
Components: A) implementation: integrated interventions → home-, community-, center-based interventionsB) monitoring and evaluation scheme, disseminationkey 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 - 987 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 FundEmail: [email protected]
“A GOOD START” With support from the European Union