Let’s show the little ones that we’re not just big by growth. Let’s accept differences, the way children do it!

The realization of the media campaign called Acceptance of Inclusive Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Project continues this year as well. The goal of this campaign is to raise awareness of the general public about the importance and significance of accepting diversity from an early age.

The media campaign began on September 14^th, 2020, and is implemented through national TV stations, local radio stations, as well as through online communication channels.

The TV spot Acceptance was filmed in the kindergartens Sanjalica and Jezurak in the municipalities of Palilula and Cukarica. These two institutions are also the winners of grants awarded to local governments in Serbia in order to improve the quality and conditions of the preschool education system.

We remind you that in the previous period, the media campaign Support was realized (May and July 2020.) through online channels, daily press, billboard campaigns and TV channels.

Within the third Component of Inclusive Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Project, through grant programs, financial resources have been allocated so far for projects of a total of 34 local governments.

At the end of September 2019, at an expert conference, grant agreements were handed over to 20 local governments. Grants for financing the proposed projects were awarded in the first round to: Aleksinac, Varvarin, Vozdovac, Vladicin Han, Vlasotince, Zrenjanin, Kragujevac, Kraljevo, Krusevac, Lebane, Leskovac, Merosina, Novi Sad, Palilula, Prokuplje, Smederevo, Sremska Mitrovica, Cukarica, Sabac, Sid.

In the second cycle of grant allocation, financial resources of almost 74 million dinars were allocated for projects of 14 more local self-government units: Bela Palanka, Vladimirci, Vranje/Vranjska Banja, Velika Plana, Zitoradja, Krupanj, Knjazevac, Odzaci, Prijepolje, Ruma, Smederevska Palanka, Sombor, Titel, Cacak.

In accordance with the proposed projects and their objectives, the following results have been achieved so far:

• • a total of 20 new rooms/rooms for educational work were adapted and equipped;
• • 1040 children included in the system of preschool education through a half-day daily program, or attending flexible programs (2-3 times a week);
• • 676 parents attended workshops on parenting, early development and the like;
• • A total of 5 vehicles for the transport of children were purchased.

Since October 2019. Novi Sad has been implementing the project „TOGETHER IN INCLUSION – for the benefit of the children of Novi Sad”. The partners in the project are PI Radosno detinjstvo, Center for production of knowledge and skills, Center for social work, Health Center „Novi Sad” and School of Special Education “Milan Petrovic”. The general goal of the project is to improve the coordinated activity of actors in the local community to support inclusive preschool education in Novi Sad, and the direct beneficiaries are preschool children who are not included in preschool education with an emphasis on Roma children, and their parents.

Since the beginning of the project, field activities to support early development have covered over 60 Roma children and 20 parents have received support through activities to strengthen parental competencies. During the field work, the families, together with the children, are empowered and prepared for inclusion in the preschool educational system. The school of parenthood was attended by 15 parents, and the topics of these workshops relate to parenting skills that are important for supporting the development of children and the importance of partner parenting. In addition, 12 parents received legal advice in exercising their rights in the field of social protection and education. Given the epidemic of the Covid-19 virus, when possible, the participation of families in events that took place in the city, such as the Festival of the Rights of the Child in October 2019., was organized.

A reading corner with books and picture books for children has been equipped in one of the facilities of the Novi Sad Health Center, and activities of more intensive connection within the Novi Sad intersectoral network for children NSMEDE have begun in the form of preparing an interdepartmental protocol for informing and educating parents starting elementary school.

In accordance with the Inclusive Preschool Education Project, the preschool institution in cooperation with the non-governmental organization Inclusion today renovated and equipped six existing premises in the municipality of Merosina, Oblacina, Azbresnica, Rasovaca, Jugbogdanovac and Balajnac.

In Merosina, the toilet was renovated, the children finally got toilet bowls that were adapted to their age, a new laminate was installed, so the room got a new look. The room in Balajnac received air conditioning. In Azbresnica and Jugbogdanovac, painting of the premises and other painting works were done. All rooms are equipped with laptops, TVs, materials necessary for holding workshops. Slides, mats, vacuum cleaners, sanitary facilities are provided. Workshops for children have started at six locations, aged 3 to 5.5, which have not been included in the system of preschool education so far. The goal of the first workshop is to encourage the development of speech, free expression and commenting, overcoming anxiety, practicing speech in front of others, both in front of children and adults, properly expressing and pronouncing voices and enriching children’s vocabulary. In the second workshop, the children got acquainted with sound, produced different sounds and worked on recognizing sounds.

Workshops for parents were also organized at six locations where parents were introduced to the importance of reading and playing with children. The workshops highlighted how important the processes of reading and play are for the development of children’s imagination and rich vocabulary and the growth and development of the child.

See the gallery with the remaining photos here.