An EU-funded project that will facilitate access during first years of life of children with special needs to community support and education services is launched today, 3rd March 2016, in Chisinau. The project’s life is two years, 2016-2018, and it will be implemented in five regions of the country: Cahul, Calarasi, Falesti, Nisporeni, and Ungheni.
The general objective of the project is to ensure access of children with special needs, aged 0-7, and their families, to support programs developed under the project. The programs will be focused on capacity-building of the parents and professionals, as well as on providing this category of children with the best opportunities of their potential development within first years of life.
Support and education programs that will be developed within the project:
- Music Therapy – a program of communication through music;
- Portage – home care and education support service for families with children who have special needs;
- Mellow Parenting – course of therapy for parental skills development and strengthening of relations between parents and children, based on theory of attachment.
During this project, a national-level communication program – Makaton – will be developed, involving the use of signs and symbols to help people communication. This will be integrated as a work tool for all actors involved in the education of children who have speech and communication difficulties.
The activities of this project will contribute to the implementation of the National Inclusive Education Development Program in 2011 – 2020 and the Child and Family Protection Strategy for years 2014-2020, by capacity building of central and local public authorities in the programs implementation. Positive practices gained within this project will be disseminated in other 6 regions of the country, with their integration into the national education and social protection system.
The Project “Improving access of children with special needs to community support and education services within the first years of life” will be implemented by “Partnerships for Every Child” charity, in collaboration with the consortium of MellowParenting and HealthProm Organizations from Great Britain, with the support of the Ministry of Labour, Social Protection and Family, Ministry of Education, and local public authorities of the five project’s pilot regions.