Roma Early Childhood Inclusion: Overview Report

Open Society Foundations. 224 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019. Tel: 212-548-0600; Fax: 212-548-4600; Web site: https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/

N

108

European Union (EU) (Belgium)

Migrants; Minority Groups; Ethnic Groups; Children; Access to Education; Early Childhood Education; Inclusion; Barriers; Equal Education; Educational Policy; Poverty; Educational Attainment; Unemployment; Child Health; Social Bias; Child Development; Infants; Preschool Children; Kindergarten; Elementary Education; Data Collection; Government Role; Citizenship; Democracy; School Readiness; Early Intervention; Womens Education; Governance; Outreach Programs; Educational Quality; Evidence Based Practice; Foreign Countries

Czech Republic; Macedonia; Romania; Serbia; European Union

Every European nation has ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and therefore has an obligation to protect and promote, with equity and without discrimination, the rights of all children. Yet, across Europe, the majority of poor Roma children face a challenging present and a difficult future. Their possibilities to succeed in life are severely constrained by prevailing negative attitudes towards their families and communities. From the very start of life, Roma children have reduced opportunities to develop to their full potential. The Open Society Foundations, Roma Education Fund (REF) and UNICEF have collaborated to develop the series of "Roma Early Childhood Inclusion (RECI) Reports." The RECI Reports build a detailed picture of early childhood policy and provision frameworks, highlighting the barriers and opportunities for improving the access of Roma children to appropriate and high-quality early childhood services. The principal objective of the Reports was to make information and data on young Roma children's exclusion available to decision makers and key stakeholders with a view to advocate for equitable early childhood policies and programmes. Four such Reports have been prepared, one for each country: the Czech Republic, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia and Romania. This RECI Overview Report is based on the country reports and compares and contrasts respective policy contexts and service delivery models. It proposes a series of recommendations for more comprehensive and inclusive early childhood services and provides a clear agenda for action by governments. [Produced with the Roma Education Fund (REF).]

ERIC

2020

ED605986