‘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: cbercus@romaeducationfund.org

“A GOOD START” With support from the European Union