Warm Greetings as We Welcome a New Dawn Together
As we close this year, we are reminded of a familiar moment in history. Before the Renaissance illuminated Europe, it was preceded by centuries often called the “Dark Ages”, a term that obscures the quiet breakthroughs, steady innovation, and determination that made later flourishing possible.
This past year held a similar truth for us at the ISSA Network Hub. It was a year marked by resilience, adaptation, and honest reckoning as we navigated funding challenges, shifts in the early childhood landscape, and the emotional weight of saying goodbye to colleagues who have shaped ISSA’s journey for so long. Their dedication continues to live in our work, inspiring us as we step into the next chapter.
At the same time, the internal transformations were deeply tangible. Downsizing our office meant opening cupboards and boxes that travelled with ISSA from Budapest to Leiden more than a decade ago. It took weeks of sorting through boxes, deciding what to keep, what to release, and what stories from our past deserved a place in our future. There were countless trips to the attic and, eventually, we all landed: team, files, and every office plant, together in a shared space which became its own small lesson in adaptation. We negotiated lamps versus ceiling lights, heating on versus heating off, quiet rhythms alongside lively bursts of collaboration. It took patience, humour, and a fair amount of compromise, but slowly our office transformed into a warm, collaborative oasis shaped by care and by the simple act of showing up for one another.
Amid all this change, something forward-looking took root. What began as a conversation in the spring grew into the ECOS Institute. Over the months, we shaped its purpose, its scope, its identity, and the quality framework that will guide it. Built from the ground up, the Institute represents a bold new chapter for ISSA and for the early childhood field, one that will open new avenues for learning, collaboration, and elevating the work and expertise of our members and partners.
Through every transition, our members remained at the heart of our purpose. Your commitment, insight, and trust grounded us, inspired us, and reminded us why this work matters. We are equally grateful to our partners and allies, whose collaboration strengthened our ability to continue delivering programmes, consultancies, and support that make a meaningful difference for young children and their families.
As we turn toward the new year, the sense of an emerging renaissance feels real. With renewed clarity and strengthened community, we look forward to the full launch of the ECOS Institute, to deepening partnerships old and new, and to coming together again at next-chapter ISSA Conference in Lisbon in October 2026.
We are grateful for everything we have weathered, learned, and created together this year. We wish you a joyful holiday season and a hopeful beginning to the new year. Together, we will continue building a brighter future for every child.
The Team at the ISSA Network Hub
Read more
Engaging Men in Nurturing Care A Roadmap for Systemic Change
The Engaging Men in Nurturing Care: A Roadmap for Systemic Change provides a practical, evidence-informed framework for strengthening men’s and fathers’ involvement in early childhood care and development. Developed through the EMiNC initiative, the Roadmap responds to persistent gender inequalities in caregiving, where structural barriers—such as limited leave policies, workplace norms, and service design—continue to limit fathers’ participation. It highlights the critical role of engaged fatherhood in improving child development outcomes, supporting family well-being, and advancing gender equality across societies.
Grounded in a multi-level, systems-based approach, the Roadmap outlines how change can be driven simultaneously across policies, services, workplaces, communities, and public narratives. It offers actionable guidance for policymakers, practitioners, training institutions, and civil society actors to transform professional practices, engage fathers directly, adapt parenting programmes, and influence workplace and policy environments. Drawing on tested interventions from across Europe, it combines research, practical tools, and real-world examples to support context-specific adaptation and scaling.
Ultimately, the Roadmap positions father engagement not as a standalone issue, but as a key lever for systemic change. By promoting shared caregiving, challenging gender norms, and building strong cross-sector partnerships, it contributes to more inclusive, responsive early childhood systems. It calls for coordinated action across sectors to create the enabling conditions in which all caregivers can participate fully—ensuring better outcomes for children, families, and society as a whole.
Published in:
2026
Organization(s):
International Step by Step Association,
Language:
Soft Skills Toolbox
This Handbook is part of the Soft Skills Toolbox, a resource developed within the Erasmus+ project Soft Skills for High Quality Education (KA220-SCH-966C750C). The project brings together national leading organisations and partner kindergartens from Slovenia, Croatia, Slovakia, and Estonia, united by a shared commitment: to strengthen the quality of early childhood education and care (ECEC) through the professional development of those who lead it from within.
The Toolbox was created for you — leaders of Teacher Support Learning Groups (TSLGs). Whether you are a preschool teacher who facilitates a professional learning community in your kindergarten, a coordinator supporting colleagues in reflective practice, or a principal fostering a culture of continuous learning, this resource is designed to support your growth.
This Handbook serves two purposes. First, it provides the conceptual and theoretical foundation that underpins the Toolbox: how adults learn, why soft skills matter for professional learning, how learning communities can be effectively facilitated, and how trust and psychological safety enable meaningful professional dialogue. Second, it offers practical guidance on how to navigate and use the other components of the Toolbox — the videos, the reflective cards, the collection of practical activities and techniques, and the tips & tricks.
You do not need to read this Handbook from beginning to end before using the Toolbox. Think of it as a companion you can return to. Some readers will find it most useful before a new series of TSLG meetings; others will come back to specific sections when a particular challenge arises. Both approaches are valid. The handbook connects theory and practice and helps users understand not only what to do, but why these approaches matter.
Authors: Jerneja Jager, Mateja Režek, Educational Research Institute, Slovenia; Katarína Pániková, Erika Szabóová, Miroslav Sklenka, Wide Open School n.o./Škola Dokorán, Slovakia; Liivi Türbsal, Gerda Sillaste, Hea Algus, Estonia; Bojana Gotlin, Marina Matešić, Open Academy Step by Step, Croatia; Janja Zupančič
Published in:
2026
Language:
Supporting families for nurturing care: Training resource package for home visiting practices
This training package equips trainers of home visiting professionals with essential knowledge, skills, and tools to deliver consistent, high-quality pre-service and in-service training.
Developed by UNICEF ECARO and the International Step by Step Association (ISSA), it builds on almost ten years of collaboration and earlier home visiting modules (2017–2025). The goal is to strengthen home visiting as a key community health service supporting families from pregnancy to early childhood.
The package includes three guides: General Overview, Foundational Training, and Extended Training, each offering adaptable materials such as session plans, slides, and handouts based on nurturing and family-centered care.
It combines two main areas: (1) programmatic knowledge on child development, health, nutrition, and parental wellbeing, and (2) practical skills such as communication, relationship building, observation, problem-solving, and cultural responsiveness.
Grounded in adult learning principles, the training encourages reflection, peer learning, and practical application, fostering the professional growth of trainers and home visitors while improving the quality of home visiting services.
Trainer Guide: General Overview
Trainer Guide: Foundational Training
Day 1 PPT | PDF
Day 2 PPT | PDF
Day 3 PPT | PDF
Day 4 PPT | PDF
Day 5 PPT | PDF
Trainer Guide: Extended Training
Day 1 PPT | PDF
Day 2 PPT | PDF
Day 3 PPT | PDF
Published in:
2025
Organization(s):
ISSA, UNICEF ECARO
Language:
Contact:
Ayca Alayli, aalayli@issa.nl