ISSA’s Journey

Explore ISSA members' stories as they faced different types of emergencies in Europe & Central Asia and what we learned.

Emergency support to Roma families from Transcarpathia fleeing to Hungary

ISSA Member: Partners Hungary Foundation, HungaryWhat happened?In February 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine, many Hungarian-speaking Roma families fled to Hungary.

Supporting Vulnerable Young Children and Families During COVID 19

ISSA Member: Trust for Social Achievement and Worldwide Foundation for Vulnerable Children, Bulgaria What happened?In early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic imposed strict lockdowns across Bulgaria.

Advocacy efforts for an inclusive early childhood system

ISSA Member: Step by Step Centre for Education and Professional Development, Romania What happened?In 2022, Romania faced a dual challenge: responding to the urgent needs of Ukrainian refugee children while also addressing pre-existing inequalities affecting vulnerable Romanian children.

SPYNKA Program

ISSA Member: Comenius Foundation for Child Development, Poland What happened?Following the outbreak of war in Ukraine in early 2022, over 1.6 million refugees arrived in Poland—most were women and children.

Creating safe learning environments to counter war disruption

ISSA Member: Ukrainian Step by Step Foundation, Ukraine What happened?By May 2022, Trostianets, a city in Ukraine’s Sumy region, had none of its kindergartens open following war-induced destruction.

TOY4Inclusion

ISSA Member: International Child Development Initiatives ICDI, The Netherlands What happened?In July 2022, the International Child Development Initiatives (ICDI), in partnership with Škola dokorán in Slovakia and Partners Hungary Foundation in Hungary, launched TOY for Inclusion Play Hubs to support young Ukrainian refugee children and their caregivers.

Mobile units bring ECD services to undeserved areas

*ISSA Member: ACEV What happened?On February 6, 2023, two major earthquakes struck southeastern Turkey, affecting 11 provinces, causing large-scale displacement, and disrupting essential services for children and families. Many communities, especially in rural areas and small settlements, faced long-term interruptions to early childhood education and support.

Station of Hope shelter and learning centre

ISSA Member: Transcarpathian Regional Charitable Fund Blaho, Ukraine What happened?When the war in Ukraine erupted, the Transcarpathian Regional Charitable Fund Blaho, already serving Roma children in Transcarpathia, transformed its child education centre into a Station of Hope shelter.

Online training for public school teachers

ISSA Member: Step by Step Educational Program, Moldova What happened?Since the beginning of the Ukraine war, over half a million refugees have passed through Moldova, many staying in the country.

Training teaching assistants to work with Ukrainian children in schools and kindergartens

ISSA Member: Step by Step Czech Republic, Czech Republic What happened?Since the start of the war in Ukraine, over 120,000 Ukrainian children have arrived in the Czech Republic. Schools faced the urgent task of welcoming and integrating these children into classrooms already under pressure.

Psychological First Aid Learning Community

ISSA Member: International Step by Step Association – ISSA, Cross-Country What happened?Amid the escalating crisis in Ukraine, in the summer of 2022, ISSA launched the Psychological First Aid (PFA) Learning Community to bring together early childhood practitioners, trainers, and professionals from multiple countries.

Blended learning and holistic teacher support for equitable ECEC during COVID-19

ISSA Member: Step by Step Albania, Albania What happened?In early 2020, when COVID-19 lockdowns were announced in Albania, Step by Step Albania faced an extraordinary challenge: ECEC services had to pivot quickly with no warning. Educators were forced to shift to remote teaching without any national support or training infrastructure.