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.

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…

ISSA contributes to European Commission’s proposal on revision of the Barcelona Targets

September 12, 2022

In conjunction with the launch of the new European Care Strategy on September 7, 2022, the European Commission delivered a Proposal for a COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION on the Revision of the Barcelona Targets on early childhood education and care. This…

Amazon, ISSA, and Save the Children partner to distribute story books in Ukrainian

August 11, 2022

In partnership with Save the Children and with support from Amazon, the International Step by Step Association will distribute 195,000 copies of three children’s story books in Ukrainian, from ISSA’s Reading Corner series. These stories will…

Non-formal education for refugee children in Moldova

Non-formal education for refugee children in Moldova Since the start of the war in Ukraine, The UNHCR estimates that more than 542,000 Ukrainian refugees have passed through Moldova, with large numbers remaining in the country — the…

Webinar: Enabling responsive early childhood strategies: the Primokiz Approach for Local Governments

Webinar: Enabling responsive early childhood strategies: the Primokiz Approach for Local Governments The Primokiz approach has proved to be a successful vehicle for building a sustainable infrastructure of cross-sector capacity at the…

ISSA and War Child join forces in new partnership initiative

ISSA and War Child join forces in new partnership initiative Since the start of the war in Ukraine in February 2022, more than 12 million people have fled their homes. The UNHCR estimates that over 7 million people are thought to be…

SAVE THE DATE: A series of webinars on 'Challenging the split system in early childhood care and education'

Training of Trainers: Foundational training on psychological first aid and trauma-informed practices

Foundational training on psychological first aid (PFA) and trauma-informed practices for young children and their caregivers As part of ISSA's Ukraine Response, the Secretariat held  two  Training of Trainers (ToT) online events for trainers and…

The next stage of life: addressing the changing needs of Ukrainian refugee children and parents

As of June 17th 2022, more than 4 million Ukrainian refugees have arrived in Poland, of which over 1.1 million have applied for temporary residence, allowing them to be legally employed (as well as receive other benefits such as healthcare). The…

Sharing and learning: Advice from the war in Nagorno-Karabakh

Sharing and learning: Advice from the war in Nagorno-Karabakh ISSA Members all over Europe are working hard to support children and families who have been affected by the war in Ukraine. The “Step by Step” Benevolent Foundation (SBSBF) in Armenia…

Overcoming psychological trauma through art therapy

In response to the war in Ukraine and the arrival of Ukrainian refugees in France — the majority being distressed mothers and children with concerns about the future — ISSA Member Ensemble Pour l'Éducation de la Petite Enfance is advocating for…

High-quality professional development contributes to high-quality pedagogical practice

There is a broad consensus among researchers, organizations, and policy makers that the outcomes for children, and ultimately families are strongly related to the quality of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) that they receive. Quality…

The Network Impact: #ISSAConnects for Ukraine

The impact of networks is evident in ISSA's work to connect and support organizations responding to the extensive needs created by the war in Ukraine. In challenging times, networks provide access to critical knowledge, invaluable partnerships, and…

Step by Step ČR is helping Ukrainian children settle into Czech schools

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, more than 120,000 Ukrainian children have arrived in the Czech Republic. Step by Step ČR responded swiftly to this influx of Ukrainian families by hosting webinars in late March and early April, titled “We have…

War-time tension is affecting school children in Latvia

At the start of the war, the Center for Education Initiatives was approached for help by the Latvian Ministry of Education. A tense situation had arisen in Latvian schools involving conflict, tension, and bullying between children over the war in…

InTrans Exchange Week: an encouraging meeting for seeds of change in ECEC systems

From Wednesday, May 18 to Friday, May 20, the InTrans project consortium organised a high-level networking exchange among policy-makers and key stakeholders in Copenhagen. The meeting involved 32 participants, including 18 policy-makers and…

Diversity+ project meeting, Leiden

As a partner of the Diversity+ project, ISSA hosted a two-day transnational meeting in its Leiden office on Thursday, 12 and Friday 13 May. A total of 19 participants from Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Italy, Slovakia and the United Kingdom, attended…

Sustaining inclusive transitions in times of reform: toward the co-construction of an integrated ECEC system in Italy

The introduction of an integrated ECEC system in Italy provides a unique opportunity to bring attention and raise awareness to the topics of educational transitions and pedagogical continuity. Focusing on the developments taking place in Emilia…

AMURTEL Romania provides psychological first aid to refugee children and parents

Didi Devapriya, president of the Neohumanist Education Association (NEA) and its mother organization, AMURTEL Romania, is working in a town called Siret, which sits on the border of Romania and Ukraine. They work to fill the gaps that other…

Partners Hungary: supporting Ukrainian refugee children and families

Erzsi Nagy is the Coordinator of the ROMA Mediator Network at ISSA Member, Partners Hungary Alapítvány, and is also the founder of an NGO, Működők Egyesülete, which is located near the Eastern border of Hungary. At Partners Hungary, she leads the…

Bulgarian advocates raise awareness about the importance of ECD amid refugee wave

For Our Children Foundation and Trust for Social Achievement, ISSA Members who co-lead the First Years First Priority Campaign efforts in Bulgaria are adapting their work to respond to the needs of families and children fleeing…