News

Building a mentoring culture in early childhood education system in Uzbekistan

July 17, 2026
ISSA Program Director Mihaela Ionescu, PhD, shares about her recent visit to Uzbekistan supporting UNICEF and the Ministry of Preschool and School Education (MOPSE) in developing and delivering the first national mentoring programme for preschool education.

International Conference to focus on transforming the future of Early Childhood Development

October 6, 2014
The event marks the 15th anniversary of the International Step by Step Association Hundreds of experts will gather in Budapest between 10-12 October, 2014 to discuss new ways forward in supporting children around the world reach their full…

To all teachers: thank you for your great efforts in providing quality education to the youngest children

October 5, 2014
Today throughout the world we celebrate Teachers’ Day and we honor those who make a change in the lives of children. Throughout 2013, more than 30.000 teachers from Europe and Central Asia have benefited from trainings organized by ISSA members.…

To all teachers: thank you for your great efforts in providing quality education to the youngest children

October 5, 2014
Today throughout the world we celebrate Teachers’ Day and we honor those who make a change in the lives of children. Throughout 2013, more than 30.000 teachers from Europe and Central Asia have benefited from trainings organized by ISSA members.…

International Consultation on Measuring and Improving Quality in Early Childhood Environments

September 10, 2014
From today until Friday, more than 35 participants from all over the world will meet in the Child Rights Home, in Leiden to discuss quality in early childhood environments. The meeting is hosted by ISSA, in partnership with the Bernard Van Leer…

NGO’s from different European countries will come together in an international conference on intergenerational learning

September 9, 2014
ISSA’s member ICDI, hosts the final TOY International Conference on intergenerational learning that will take place on the 28th October in Leiden Other three ISSA members, VBJK (Belgium), Comenius Foundation (Poland) and the Step by Step Centre for…

New training for 300 preschool teachers and experts in Moldova

August 21, 2014
The Step by Step organisation in Moldova organized a nine-day training delivered in three rounds (Module I in February, Module II in April, and Module III in August) with the aim to contribute to the reform of preschool education in the country,…

ISSA hosts two meetings of the Consultative Group on Early Childhood Care and Development

July 21, 2014
From today until Friday July 25th agencies and regional networks from different parts of the world working in early childhood care and development will meet in Leiden under the umbrella of this inter-agency consortium. ISSA is proud to host two…

Several ISSA members release a new manual for intergenerational learning

July 16, 2014
The Dutch NGO ICDI, together with three other ISSA members, VBJK (Belgium), Comenius Foundation (Poland) and the Step by Step Centre for Quality Education (Slovenia) has published a new toolkit to help implement learning workshops involving…

ISSA endorses a UN appeal to prioritize early childhood development

June 19, 2014
The document "Early Childhood Development: The Foundation of Sustainable Human Development for 2015 and beyond” was presented at a side event during the 11th session of the UN’s Open Working Group. It is time to help policy and decision-makers…

ISSA welcomes five new members

June 12, 2014
Three more members from The Netherlands and two from Bulgaria have just joined the network, contributing to expanding ISSA’s presence across Europe. After the incorporation of 15 new members two months ago, ISSA is proud to welcome five more…

ISSA celebrates Children's Day

June 1, 2014
On this special date, when many of its members from Eastern Europe celebrate Children’s Day, ISSA takes the opportunity to stress how relevant play, exploration and well-being are for the development of each child. Every day should be celebrated as…

Civil society organisations call for children’s rights to be prioritized in EU asylum and migration policies

May 26, 2014
ISSA has joined the open letter sent to the European Council and signed by tens of NGO’s, children’s ombudspersons of Europe and the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child. Every child should have its rights secured in the European…

Training Education Policy Makers in Azerbaijan

May 15, 2014
The Center for Innovations in Education (CIE) has organized a training on policy making for researchers and experts as part of the Education Reform Strategy foreseen by the government. ISSA’s member in Azerbaijan, the Center for Innovations in…

New manual for diversification of programs in Serbia

May 13, 2014
The manual and its practicum offer alternative ways to make preschool education accessible to a larger number of children that still remain outside the mainstream system. Two ISSA full members, the CIP - Center for Interactive Pedagogy from Serbia…

Call for proposals deadline extended

May 10, 2014
The deadline for the submission of proposals for ISSA’s 2014 Conference has been extended to May 30. In response to the requests received from several participants, ISSA is pleased to inform that the deadline for the submission of proposals has…

ISSA presents at the World Bank’s conference

April 22, 2014
The conference took place in Bucharest, Romania, on April 7-8, bringing together close to 250 participants from Europe and Central Asia. Under the theme Strengthening Early Childhood Education Systems: Investing Early to Ensure Effective Learning…

ECD at UN Post-2015 Development Agenda

April 17, 2014
Let’s put early childhood development at the heart of the UN post-2015 development agenda! ISSA encourages all its members and partners to sign the petition led by British politician Dame Tessa Jowell MP to champion an integrated approach to early…

ISSA welcomes 15 new members

April 15, 2014
The association is proud to receive a large number of new full and affiliate members from different European countries, including Belgium, France, Greece and The Netherlands, thus expanding its presence in Western Europe. Since the association…

ISSA welcomes proposals for its 2014 Conference

April 14, 2014
Anyone interested in delivering a presentation, workshop or session is invited to send an application (in English), from today until May 15. The conference website is now live and reachable at www.issa2014.hu The early bird registration deadline is…

New REYN Manifesto

April 14, 2014
It is time to call for no more lost Romani and Traveller generations The Romani Early Years Network (REYN) launches its Manifesto, in which practitioners working with Romani and Traveller children, families and communities raise their voice against…

ISSA turns 15!

April 1, 2014
Fifteen years ago, in March 1999, ISSA was founded in The Netherlands and registered as an international membership association focused on Early Childhood Development. Following the decision taken by the network of Step by Step NGOs during an…

ISSA launches its new website

March 31, 2014
The new site goes live during March 2014, the month during which ISSA was established 15 years ago ISSA is delighted to announce the release of its new website, designed with a fresh new look and user-friendly navigation, linked with its social…

ISSA proudly releases its Annual Report 2013

March 28, 2014
The development of the Romani Early Years Network; the launch of the Early Years Regional Alliance and ISSA’s consolidation as an umbrella for early childhood development across Europe and Central Asia through the admission of more members, among…

New report on early childhood education and care services for the youngest children

February 27, 2014
Most of the services for this age group in CEE/CIS lack infrastructure and national coverage The survey comprises the majority of the Central Eastern European countries and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CEE/CIS), with responses from ISSA…