News

Marking International Roma Day with the CHAVORE Quest

This year, we are marking the day with the launch of the CHAVORE Quest, an interactive, multilingual experience available in five CHAVORE languages. The Quest introduces a new way of supporting children’s mental health, well-being, and inclusion inviting users to explore, reflect, and learn through a more playful and participatory format.

Gender equality starts in the early years

Girls are 1.5 times more likely than boys to be excluded from school, damaging their chances to succeed later in life. ISSA member organization, VVOB – education for development has partnered with Forum for African Women…

Large-scale research study focuses on Early Childhood Development in Bulgaria

Photos courtesy of For Our Children Foundation. Pictured (Left to Right): Ivanka Shalapatova, Deputy Minister of Education Denitsa Sacheva, Deputy Minister of Health Boyko Penkov, Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Policy Rositsa Dimitrova. Early…

Roma Healthy Start: grant for community-based organizations

The Open Society Foundations (OSFs) are offering a grant to support community-based organizations that use elements of the Nurturing Care Concept in their policy models. The aim is to improve pregnancy and birth outcomes, eliminate racial…

Peer Learning Activities 2017 - Sharing the Knowledge!

Today, ISSA launched a review of the Peer Learning Activities (PLAs) carried out with our member organizations last year. ISSA’s member organizations have diverse theoretical expertise in various areas of Early Childhood Development as well as…

NEWS - ISSA shows a strong commitment to Nurturing Care

What is the role of civil society to support policymakers and communities in implementing the Nurturing Care Framework in Europe and Central Asia? A recent webinar from ISSA urged participants to ask

Webinar: Responding to the ECEC Needs of Children of Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Europe and North America

As asylum seekers and refugees have arrived in significant numbers in Europe and North America in recent years, many countries have struggled to address the newcomers’ basic reception needs and provide effective integration services. Young children…

“A person grows thanks to challenges” - Member in Focus with Balkan Sunflowers Kosova’s Director, Muhamet Arifi

In this Member in Focus we interviewed the Director of Balkan Sunflowers Kosova (BSFK), Muhamet Arifi. Muhamet is part of the Ashkali community, an ethnic minority in Kosovo. After 25 years of work as a musician, a security guard in the OSCE Mission…

"Little Ideas" cards for parents in Slovenia

February 28, 2018

The Step by Step Centre for Quality Education together with Family Centre Mala Ulica ("Little Street"), both ISSA members in Slovenia, have developed and published a booklet for parents of children from zero to one year of age. It is…

How to get students thinking about learning, not grades

February 28, 2018

ISSA member Open Academy Step by Step Croatia piloted an innovative project. The model was developed during the school year 2016/2017 in six selected schools in Croatia. In this project an innovative way of assessing children’s learning was…

Schools Ready for Children

February 27, 2018

ISSA member Step by Step Moldova (SbSM) has announced the start of a new project: Schools Ready for Children, with the financial support of the Pestalozzi Children’s Foundation. The project aims at improving the access, attendance and progress…

ISSA welcomes three new member organizations

February 26, 2018

We are happy to introduce three new member organizations that joined ISSA recently: VVOB – Education for Development (Belgium), Dreamland Primary School (Romania) and Know How Center (Serbia). VVOB – Education for Development is a Flemish…

Learning Event 7th June 2018

February 15, 2018

The KAA Gent Foundation uses football as a way to connect children, families, and the neighbourhood. Professionals in early childhood education and care, family support services, and preschool education similarly work together on a daily basis with…

REYN National Networks launched in Bosnia Herzegovina and Bulgaria

February 8, 2018

We are happy to announce that the Romani Early Years Network (REYN) has just expanded to two new countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina and Bulgaria! In Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), the news has been shared by the three founding organizations of REYN…

ISSA’s website has a new look!

February 8, 2018

Today we are proud to launch our new website! We hope you will like it as much as we do. The platform is easier to use and fully responsive on smartphones and tablets. It also offers new functions that will better feature the ISSA member…

ISSA seeks Senior Communications Officer in Leiden

February 8, 2018

The deadline for this vacancy has passed. The International Step by Step Association (ISSA) is a vibrant international network that connects professionals and non-profit organizations working in the field of early childhood development.…

Two new reports aim to strengthen the Early Childhood Workforce

February 1, 2018

The Early Childhood Workforce Initiative (ECWI) released two reports that shed critical insights on how policymakers and others can better support the child care workers, preschool teachers, teacher assistants, social workers, community health…

UNICEF’s new global report on early childhood development

January 17, 2018

Early Moments Matter for every child, UNICEF’s global report on early childhood development, shows that the period from conception to the start of school opens a critical and singular window of opportunity to shape the development of a child’s brain…

Global Business Summit on Early Childhood: registration open

January 11, 2018

Registration is openen now for the 2018 ReadyNation Global Business Summit on Early Childhood. This summit will convene hundreds of business leaders from around the world in New York City at the Grand Hyatt Hotel on November 1-2…

CALL FOR ACTION – Save a mobile library in Macedonia

January 5, 2018

June 1, 2018As many ISSA members in Eastern Europe celebrate Children’s Day today, the reality of funding limitations for programs that support young children underscores the festivities. Funding cuts

The ISSA team wishes everyone a healthy and happy 2018!

December 21, 2017

Read message from Liana Ghent, ISSA's Executive Director.

Closing words on 2017, from our Director Liana Ghent

December 14, 2017

A well-known proverb states that if you want to go quickly, you should go alone, but if you want to go far, then go together. ISSA, as a network, strives to go far. We strengthen the connections among our members so that they can learn from…

ISSA training sessions for trainers have a wide reach

December 13, 2017

High-quality education and care depends heavily on a qualified and satisfied workforce. As part of ISSA's commitment to strengthening the early year’s workforce, extra attention has been placed on providing professional development…

Looking back at a successful year for the INTESYS project

December 12, 2017

INTESYS is a 3-year, Forward Looking Cooperation Project co-funded by the European Commission's Erasmus+ Programme. The project focuses on piloting new approaches to Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) systems in Europe with a view to ensuring…

Workshop about the effects of segregated education of Roma children

December 11, 2017

An international workshop and meeting on the segregated education of Roma children will be hosted in Budapest January 25th- 26th. The event will include discussion about the impact of segregation in schools and facilitate the exchange of…