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.

ISSA Members Mobilized for Ukraine

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, ISSA Members in Ukraine and neighboring countries have mobilized, providing formal and non-formal services to children and families, supporting their physical and mental wellbeing while promoting smooth…

ISSA Welcomes a New Member: “Open Hearts”, Tajikistan

Founded in 2018 by parents of children with Down syndrome, a new ISSA Member “Open Hearts” is a National Public Organization in Tajikistan that provides help and support to their children. It empowers kids with disabilities to improve the quality of…

30,000 Children in Romania and Poland Receive Story Books in Ukrainian

30,000 children in Romania and Poland receive story books in Ukrainian As part of ISSA’s Ukraine response, the International Step by Step Association partnered with Save the Children and Amazon in 2022 to distribute 195,000 copies of…

Psychological First Aid Training in Romania: Creating a Climate of Safety and Support

Twelve training sessions in Psychological First Aid (PFA) for 450 early childhood development practitioners were organized and delivered by the Centrul Step by Step in Romania. Preschool educators and primary education teachers who are working with…

Play Hubs: nonformal ECEC supporting young Ukrainian children in Slovakia and Hungary

From February 2022, 8 million Ukrainian refugees were registered across Europe. The vast majority has arrived in Poland, Romania, Moldova, Hungary, Slovakia, and Czech Republic. Forty percent of these refugees are children, who have witnessed…

Marking International Roma Day - the REYN Early Childhood Research

On International Roma Day, celebrated annually on April 8th, ISSA aims to bring attention to the often-overlooked and underserved segment of the European population — young Roma children. Through the Romani Early Years Network (REYN…

REYN Award in Hungary recognized Roma in Early Childhood field

Six Early Childhood professionals working with Roma and marginalized children in Hungary were recognized during REYN Award 2022 that took place at the end of the last year. Being the initiative of REYN Hungary, this is already the second time…

Bulgaria’s five largest cities receive psychosocial support training

Following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, NGOs around Europe had to act swiftly to respond to the needs of families with young children fleeing Ukraine. While the necessary infrastructure was set up quickly, the early childhood development (ECD…

Supporting local governments to build comprehensive early childhood services – experience from Slovenia

For the past two years, ISSA Member Step by Step Center for Quality in Education (Slovenia) has been piloting the Primokiz approach in eight municipalities in Slovenia to establish integrated early childhood support systems for families with young…

Four additional ISSA Member organizations receive training on the Primokiz approach

Four additional ISSA Member organizations receive Primokiz training Between February 20 – 24, 2023, ISSA Secretariat staff met with ISSA Members and invited guests in Bucharest, Romania, for ISSA’s first in-person event of 2023. Over the…

InTrans project - Achievements to enable smooth and inclusive early years' transitions

Since early 2020, the InTrans consortium has been working to ensure that all children and families — especially those in the most vulnerable situations — benefit from warm and inclusive transitional practice. To achieve this goal, the project…

First Years, First Priority Campaign coalition makes the case for an integrated early childhood system in Bulgaria

On 12 January, ISSA Member, For Our Children Foundation, took part in the largest roundtable discussion to date on Bulgaria’s new approach to Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC). During this roundtable, Trendafil Meretev, Projects and…

Program package to support children and families in situations of migration

In 2022, ISSA Member, CIP-Center for Interactive Pedagogy developed the Parenting on the Move program with the support of Save the Children North West Balkans. By combining psychological support, education, and entertainment, the program aims to…

Integrating support for ECD and nurturing care in primary health care

On 2 March, a Health Systems for Early Child Development webinar presented the guiding principles and examples of practical approaches to integrating nurturing care in Italy’s primary health care services. The webinar was organized in partnership…

Delving into Continuous Professional Development: A Spotlight on the PIQET Project

In the early childhood development field, the impact of continuous professional development (CPD) on the quality of teaching and learning is essential. Educators who engage in high-quality CPD programs consistently report feeling more competent and…

ISSA welcomes a new Member: Metropolia University, Finland

February 8, 2023

In November 2022, ISSA welcomed a new Member: The School of Wellbeing and Social Services at Metropolia University of Applied Sciences in Finland. Metropolia prides itself on supporting and activating learning and development for lifelong learners…

SPYNKA centers support 10,000 Ukrainian children and families in Poland

February 1, 2023

SPYNKA centers support 10,000 Ukrainian children and families in Poland Since the start of the war in February 2022, approximately 1.6 million Ukrainian refugees are reported to have fled to Poland. Of this number, a large majority are women and…

New tool empowers school leaders to develop inclusive school cultures

January 13, 2023

A new tool focused on empowering Continuous Professional Development (CPD) for school leadership to create inclusive school cultures was recently released through the HEAD: Empowering School Principals for Inclusive School Culture project. The…

Message from the ISSA Secretariat

December 20, 2022

Dear ISSA Members and Friends, The year 2022 has brought new opportunities and challenges for the ISSA Network, being marked above all, by the war in Ukraine. Despite the painful situation, the ISSA Network responded immediately, with agility…

ISSA supports new gender transformative parenting research and training

December 19, 2022

Gender Transformative Parenting project In cooperation with UNICEF ECARO and UNICEF New York, the ISSA team did a global mapping of gender-responsive and transformative parenting and in-depth desk research. The results were used…

Five streams of action: early childhood responses to the war in Ukraine

December 14, 2022

Strong linkages and adaptive, flexible processes allow the ISSA Network to quickly organize in response to crises in Europe and Central Asia. In challenging times, networks provide access to critical knowledge, invaluable partnerships, and,…

A new platform to help transform traditional health care into holistic care for every child

December 6, 2022

Geneva, 6 December 2022 – Today, UNICEF Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia, WHO Regional Office for Europe and the International Step by Step Association (ISSA) launched a new web platform Health systems for early childhood…

Meet new ISSA Member: Transcarpathian Regional Charitable Fund "Blaho"

October 6, 2022

Transcarpathian Regional Charitable Fund "Blaho" is a Non-Governmental Organization established in 2003 based in Ukraine. Led by Eleonora Kulchar, "Blaho" aims to revive Transcarpathia and the provision of educational and social assistance to…

Meet new ISSA Member: NestingPlay

October 6, 2022

Based in Hungary, NestingPlay is a social enterprise that focuses on empowering adults to support children with developmental delays through play. By encouraging caregivers and teachers to be more conscious about delays and supporting…