News

ISSA members & REYN National Networks partner across Europe

- News

REYN National Networks actions have been featured in the 2018 Peer Learning Activities Overview of the International Step by Step Association (ISSA).

Several REYN members throughout Europe have joined the ISSA Peer Learning Activities (PLAs) in 2018. Today the organization has launched its Overview of last year’s PLAs, which features our network too.

The idea is simple. We are keen to exchange promising early childhood development practices and lessons learned, especially with international peers. So every year ISSA supports new PLAs.

The REYN National Networks involved

Among the REYN National Networks involved there is Ukraine, which has organized a series of events to build the capacity of Roma civil society in the country. Participants learned to promote equal and non-discriminative education for Roma children and youth. It was attended by young Roma advocates, local REYN members and early childhood development professionals. REYN National Networks from Italy, Serbia and Slovakia joined to share their campaign experience with the Ukrainian members of REYN.

During another activity, the REYN Slovakia members, visited early childhood care settings in Ghent (Belgium) and met the local Roma community.

Read all the ISSA Peer Learning Activities 2018 here.

TOY for Inclusion mid-term results now available in seven languages

- News

Toy for Inclusion is the gateway to (pre)school for may Romani children. Now the preliminary project results are available in many different languages.

We have run the numbers! The figures of TOY for Inclusion are available per country and in seven languages (period January-September 2018).

The languages available are:

All the figures of TOY for Inclusion can be accessed online here and via the page toy4inclusion.eu. A summary with the final results of 2018 will be published soon.

Stay tuned!

Elina is happy she can play! New TOY for Inclusion video

- News

“I am happy because I can play with other children,” says Elina. The new TOY for Inclusion video is out. In the Play Hubs, Roma and non-Roma children play and learn together. And parents too! They can meet informally, follow workshop and receive advice from professionals.

Watch the video

Ending Romani children segregation – TOY for Inclusion

www.toy4inclusion.eu Many children are deprived of their right to access quality education, care or playing. TOY for Inclusion is the gateway to kindergarten and school for young children and families at the margins, including Romani and migrants. We create Play Hubs where we offer toys to share and borrow, support to parents and learning activities for children to better transition to kindergarten and school.

Posted by REYN – Romani Early Years Network on Monday, January 21, 2019

 

Many children today are deprived of their right to access quality education, care or playing. TOY for Inclusion is the gateway to kindergarten and school for young children and families at the margins, including Romani and migrants.

Over the past two years, the project has created eight Play Hubs for young children and families in seven European Union countries: one in Belgium, Croatia, Latvia, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia and two in Italy.

The Play Hubs are often located in the local kindergarten, school or library. Children can borrow the toys they don’t have at home and follow educational activities. Families and volunteers of both communities can meet each other, follow workshops and receive (or give) professional advice.

TOY for Inclusion prepares children for formal education and helps the schools arrange the children’s arrival at every new school year. Together: children, parents and local communities are taking steps toward the end of Roma segregation.

Find out more about the project here.

Job vacancy: Program Coordinator REYN

- News

We seeks to hire a full time Program Coordinator to work in cooperation with the Program Manager to support the implementation of specific activities outlined in the REYN strategy.

The new Program Coordinator is expected to work in the premises of the International Step by Step Association (ISSA) in Leiden, the Netherlands.

The Position

The Program Coordinator will assist the Program Manager on advocacy and programmatic aspects of key initiatives linked with REYN, as well as on strengthening the network and its 11 National Networks.

Applications should be sent via email to info@issa.nl, indicating in the subject line: Program Coordinator/REYN. Application deadline: January 31st, 2019.

Find all the details here.

Learn more about REYN.

  • About ISSA
    ISSA is the driving force behind REYN. At ISSA we commit ourselves to the development of every child, across all domains. Ever since ISSA was founded as a network in 1999 we have grown significantly – sharing knowledge and tools to improve the quality of Early Childhood Development and its workforce. In (pre)schools, creches, kindergartens and daycare centers across Europe, and in other services for young children and their families. As a network, we gather and generate prominent studies and insights on child development and learning and convey them to our peers, member organizations and policy makers, so they can put them to good use.

REYN Hungary: training for early childhood professionals helps prevent burnout

- News

Early childhood professionals mention heavy workload and low recognition of their role among the main causes of stress. The REYN National Network in Hungary helps the early childhood workforce strengthen their capacity and advocates for their well-being.

REYN Hungary builds the capacity of early childhood professionals who work with Roma in the country. One of their workshops, titled “Burnout prevention for professionals working with Roma children”, recently tripled the amount of applications and had great reviews by participants. The training was delivered to health visitors, child protection workers, kindergarten teachers and principals.

“I felt like I needed this training because, as an health visitor, I wanted to keep delivering despite the difficult circumstances. I did not have the chance to attend such a training for many years”, says Csilla Kuráthné Ábel, a participant.

People working in early childhood settings have an important role in the children’s development and it is therefore key to support their well-being.

Alarmingly, the early childhood workforce is at higher risk of stress if compared it with other professionals. As indicated by the Early Childhood Workforce Initiative, “61 percent of educators reported that their work is “always” or “often” stressful”. Among the causes they mention there are: “high-stakes job demands, limited resources and professional autonomy, and negative school climate”.

Hungary is not an exception. The participants reported high bureaucratic burden, heavy workload and low pay. “There is a significant number of unfilled vacancies and young people are not motivated to choose this career”, Csilla declares. “More prevention is needed but this is not happening due to the lack of financial resources and lack of care for staff.”

REYN Hungary strives to create professional learning communities to facilitate exchange, raise awareness and help prevent burnout.

“As REYN National Network in Hungary, we know that only a happy teacher can make children happy” – says Zsuzsa Laszlo, REYN Coordinator – “for this reason we often organize training for early childhood professionals. We believe it is important to empower people who work with Romani children and families.”

Participants highly appreciated the training, “I was delighted to have the opportunity to join”, says Csilla. “I am thankful for this. Because dealing with small children takes a lot from professionals and such professional and human recharging opportunities are important”, says Baranyi Marcsi, another participant.

REYN Hungary offers different types of training all year long, many of which are for free or at discounted rates for the members. Learn more and join their network.

Job vacancy: Program Manager REYN

- News

We are hiring a full time Program Manager to serve as coordinator of the Romani Early Years Network (REYN).

The new Program Manager is expected to work in the premises of the International Step by Step Association (ISSA) in Leiden, the Netherlands.

The Position

In close cooperation with the ISSA team and under the supervision of ISSA’s Program Director, the Program Manager is responsible for the implementation of specific activities outlined in the REYN strategy.

Applications should be sent via email to info@issa.nl, indicating in the subject line: Program Manager/REYN.
Application deadline: January 25, 2019.

Find all the details here.

Learn more about REYN.

  • About ISSA
    ISSA is the driving force behind REYN. At ISSA we commit ourselves to the development of every child, across all domains. Ever since ISSA was founded as a network in 1999 we have grown significantly – sharing knowledge and tools to improve the quality of Early Childhood Development and its workforce. In (pre)schools, creches, kindergartens and daycare centers across Europe, and in other services for young children and their families. As a network, we gather and generate prominent studies and insights on child development and learning and convey them to our peers, member organizations and policy makers, so they can put them to good use.

PhD project on services for Roma communities. Apply now!

- News

The Northumbria University Newcastle seeks candidates to their PhD project titled “Exploring interventions to tackle service provider discrimination against Roma, Gypsy and Traveller Communities”.

Health inequalities and lack of services hit Roma and Travellers disproportionately. According to the Roma Health Report of the European Union (2014), the Roma population has considerably shorter life expectancy compared to the non-Roma population. When it’s about education, only one Romani child in two goes to kindergarten.

To address consistent disparities in the access to services like education and care, The Northumbria University Newcastle is sponsoring a new PhD project. The PhD “will explore how models of service provider education can best be developed and implemented, in order to reduce discrimination and increase service access for Roma, Gypsy and Traveller Communities. Using a collective case study design, encompassing the perspectives of professionals and community members, it aims to collate learning from existing equality and diversity training initiatives.”

The deadline for applications is Friday 25 January 2019.

Find more details here.