INTESYS piloted new approaches to early childhood systems in Europe for ensuring that children and families in vulnerable situations benefit of high-quality early childhood services through integrated work across different sectors (education, health, welfare, etc.) and professions, across different age groups and governance levels. Find more information on the final products of the project below.

INTESYS focuses on piloting new approaches to Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) systems in Europe with a view to ensuring that children and families in vulnerable situations have access to high-quality ECEC provided by services that are better integrated across the different sectors (education, health, welfare, etc.), professions and across age groups and governance levels. Ahead of the project’s closing conference in April, the INTESYS consortium is releasing some highlights from their evaluation.

The INTESYS approach makes services more responsive to real-world situations. ‘The INTESYS project enables us to highlight the processes that lead to joint, early and effective strategies in addressing vulnerable situations…’ says Norma Gigliotti, head of the minors department at the Consortium of Municipal Services. Creating effective, joint strategies is exactly what INTESYS is about.

Integrated systems is a complex term; don’t let the name put you off. Integrating early childhood systems helps reduce disparities in learning outcomes for vulnerable children and help professionals meet the diverse needs of children and families. They help practitioners, managers and policymakers accomplish more – together.

If integrated systems sound a little complex it is because they are. After all, how can systems address multifaceted issues without reviewing their complexities? Stepping outside of the standard approach to Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) can be confusing, even for those in the field. What is meant by integrating early childhood services? And, why is it so essential to do so?