OVER 950 PARTICIPANTS AT THE PARENTING FAIR IN NOVI PAZAR

On Saturday, June 8th, the Parenting Fair was held for the second time at the “Dečija radost” kindergarten in Novi Pazar, with over 950 parents and children in attendance.

As part of the Inclusive Preschool Education and Care project, and under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, the first Parenting Fair in this city was organized last year, garnering significant interest from the broader community, especially families with young children.

Encouraged by the positive experience and the great interest of parents, particularly those from vulnerable social groups, for this type of direct communication and support from local institutions and organizations, the “Mladost” Preschool Institution from Novi Pazar organized the Parenting Fair again this year.

During the Parenting Fair, 15 workshops were held for parents and children, and various educational institutions, as well as local government institutions, were presented – including the “Mladost” Preschool Institution, elementary schools and kindergartens, the Novi Pazar Health Center, the Novi Pazar Psychologists Association, the Association for People with Intellectual Disabilities (MNRP), the Novi Pazar Center for Social Work, the “Stevan Mokranjac” Music School, the “Ras” Museum, the “Dositej Obradović” National Library, the Bosniak National Council, the Sports Association and School Sports Association of Novi Pazar, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Novi Pazar Police Department, and the “Duga” Center for Children and Youth.

The fair was visited by over 950 parents with children, including 178 fathers, 357 mothers, and 421 children. Visitors had the opportunity to learn about their parental rights and the services and support provided by the mentioned institutions in one place. Parents were able to enhance their parenting skills through various types of workshops and participate in different creative activities with their children.

Photos from the event can be viewed here.

The aim of holding the Parenting Fairs is to allow as many parents of preschool-aged children as possible to become familiar with the services and types of support provided to families by local institutions and organizations. Additionally, the fair is an opportunity to strengthen their parenting competencies through educational workshops and to learn, create, play, and have fun with their children by participating in creative and sports activities.

The Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the World Bank, has so far organized six Parenting Fairs as part of the “Inclusive Preschool Education and Care” project in Čačak, Sombor, Vranje, Loznica, Novi Pazar, and Kragujevac. Thanks to the good results and great interest from parents, some local governments have decided to continue organizing Parenting Fairs annually and to provide continuous support to families with young children.