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The intervention “Building of an Early Childhood Intervention system in Ukraine” is based on the strategy that was developed for building four good ECI practices in four pilot regions and combines lobbying and advocacy at the regional and national level. The experience gained during the four pilots form the basis for the policies at the national level.

At the national level we stimulated the creation of the National Council on ECI; to develop national policies, regulations and financing mechanisms; for coordination and lobby & advocacy; and for the input from the NGO ECI service providers and parents organisations from the four pilot regions. The health, social policy and education sectors and NGO actors are stimulated and encouraged by the consortium partners to work in partnership. A train the trainer course for ECI professionals was provided and a national team of certified trainers is created.

At the regional and local level, the ECI systems are developed in practice. The four pilot practices feed in the policy development on both regional and national levels, for which coordination is needed between all stakeholders. Civil servants from state bodies and state and NGO care providers are informed about and trained in the principles of ECI, and in multi-sectoral and multi-disciplinary work. The ECI concepts are realized in the four existing NGO ECI service providers (who are recognized as the ‘methodological centers’). In the four pilot regions, ECI policy platforms are developed on community, city, rayon, and regional level. Meanwhile, the government approved six more pilot regions based on the experiences in the four initial pilot regions. Other governmental and non-governmental institutions are introducing ECI concepts in their work. In 2020, 31 ECI-teams operate in 10 regions. To ensure the quality of ECI services, training and supervision of the staff is crucial. NAPD, SOFT Tulip and the Ukrainian network of four ECI centers operate as an informal consortium from where the dialogue with all mayor stakeholders takes place. Simultaneously, the All-Ukrainian Parents Forum for Early Intervention (AUPFEI) is functioning in 10 regions. The parents’ forum pro-actively advocates for ECI services at the local, regional and national levels. The purpose is to mobilize NGOs, established and led by parents, and strengthen their potential to effectively advocate for ECI by providing training, network building, developing communication and relationships at the local, regional and national levels.

An important aspect of the strategy are the many training sessions for ECI professionals, that have been provided by care experts from the network of Dutch care service providers, affiliated to SOFT Tulip.

Inclusion of a course on the ISSA Principles of Quality Pedagogy for fourth year students at the Kazakh Women's University in Almaty, and three methodological training centres in Kysyforda, Zhambul, and Semey regions with co-financing. 

Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) services started to develop in Ukraine as an initiative of NGO organizations in 2000. During the last years, ECI has been actively developing in several Ukrainian regions. A Consortium of Ukrainian and international organizations started in 2008 lobbying for the development of a mational ECI system in Ukraine. The consortium consists of SOFT Tulip, four NGO from different regions of Ukraine and the National Assembly of People with Disabilities, which are actively involved in the process at regional and national levels. The consortium formulated a national plan for the development of ECI. The expertise of the Ukrainian organizations was complemented and strengthened by the work in cooperation with SOFT Tulip and the European Association on Early Childhood.

On 14 December 2016, the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers approved a governmental order regarding the piloting of ECI policy and service provision in four pilot regions of Ukraine (Kharkov, Lviv, Zarkapattya, Odesa). The four regions were chosen because of the already existence of ECI centers and expertise on ECI. The centers are meant to serve as resources and to provide coaching to colleagues developing their services. The piloting early intervention programs in these regions are envisaged to provide other regions with a tested and systematic framework for developing ECI services together with important lessons learned. The four regional governments and many local and regional stakeholders from the medical, social and educational fields are very motivated to participate in the pilot project. An important milestone in the process was the creation of a policy platform.

On 13 April 2017, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Social Policy, Ministry of Education and Science, SOFT tulip, European Association on Early Childhood Intervention (Eurlyaid), UNICEF Ukraine and three Ukrainian NGOs – the National Assembly of People with Disabilities of Ukraine, CF Early Intervention Institute, CSO “All-Ukrainian foundation for children rights”. The main objective of the Policy Platform is to promote cooperation and interaction between the parties in the development of common approaches and build the capacity for an early intervention system in Ukraine. Both the governmental order and the MoU recognize the importance of ECI for Ukraine; of the role of the involved ministries; of the importance of multi-disciplinary and cross sectorial cooperation; of the role of civil society actors, including ECI service providers and parents of children with developmental delays and disabilities; of building good practices in the four regions as basis for the national system of ECI; of the involvement of international and national experts; and the importance of ECI for the prevention of the institutionalization of disabled children.

Aflatot: Early childhood education for sustainable development. This study took place in the following countries: Albania, Serbia, Slovakia, Kenya, Zambia, Bolivia, Ecuador, Honduras, India and the Philippines to document the effects of the Aflatot programs on social emotional outcomes for young children. The program is implemented in 45 countries by NGOs that are partners of Aflatoun International as well as on governmental level, for example in Ukraine and Indonesia.

The study demonstrated that children are much more likely to think and act independently after having participated in the Aflatot programme. They improve their self–understanding, are managing their emotions in a healthier way, and they are able to identify other children’s and adult’s emotions and to adjust their behavior accordingly. Children better promote and maintain mutual, positive relationships with other children and significant adults after the programme. In addition, children become more confident in realizing their basic needs and they better understand the concept of value by practicing habits that are fundamental to financial literacy, such as delayed gratification, sharing and saving.

Some key indicators of Aflatot program impact: improvement pre- and post-intervention:
INITIATIVE +19%;
SELF-REGULATION +36%;
RIGHTS & RESPONSIBILITIES +20%;
RELATIONSHIPS +17%;
REDUCED CONDUCT PROBLEMS +12%;
DELAYED GRATIFICATION +20%.