Mitigating the impact of COVID-19 on children and families in the Western Balkans and Türkiye
About this newsletter 1 This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSC 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo* declaration of independence In January 2021, UNICEF, in partnership with the European Union (EU), launched a two-year programme to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the lives of children and families in the Western Balkans and Turkey. EU funding of 5 million is enabling UNICEF to ensure that quality core services for health, learning, child protection, and early childhood development (ECD) remain accessible for 490,000 of the regions most disadvantaged children now and beyond the pandemic. This newsletter provides key highlights from the ongoing work in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*1, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Turkey during the first nine months of programme implementation. Health and NutritionStrengthening continuity of health and nutrition services and capacity of health service professionals Page 2 EducationStrengthening continuity of education services and the capacity of teachers Page 5 Early Childhood Development Strengthening continuity of ECDservices and the capacity of ECDprofessionals Page 6 Child ProtectionStrengthening continuity of child protection services and capacity of social service professionals Page 4 U NIC EF/A lban ia 2 021 NEWSLETTER ISSUE 1 | November 2021 UN ICEF/Albania 2021 NEWSLETTER ISSUE #1 | November 20212 U NIC EF/P anje ta In 2020 and early 2021, governments across the Western Balkans and Turkey imposed lockdowns and other restrictions to contain the spread of COVID-19. The sudden and profound disruption to social and economic life set back decades of progress in poverty reduction and access to quality education and essential health and social services. More families are falling below the poverty line. Many children missed their routine vaccinations, and millions fell behind in school. Prolonged confinement intensified family stress. During and beyond pandemic times, childrens wellbeing depends on functioning public services. Government measures to protect economies are slowly gaining momentum, and the COVID-19 vaccine rollout is accelerating recovery. However, the future is far from certain, and by September 2021, new waves of infection threatened countries. Children, especially those whose families are poor, marginalized, or in already precarious situations, will suffer the most devastating impacts from COVID-19. The EU-UNICEF partnership aims to protect nearly half a million children from the pandemics worst impacts and ensure the systems they depend on are strengthened and more resilient to future shocks and crises. Preliminary findings of a UNICEF analysis on the impacts of the pandemic on maternal, newborn, and child health and nutrition in the Europe and Central Asia region confirmed mild to moderate disruptions in antenatal care and support for young child feeding, breastfeeding, maternal nutrition, and child growth monitoring programmes. The general publics fear of contracting the virus in health facilities also discouraged many families from accessing preventive health care services. Through the EU-UNICEF partnership, public awareness-raising campaigns, capacity building of health professionals, and systems improvements contributed to enhanced programming for young child health and development. For example: Catch-up immunization campaigns Bosnia and Herzegovina developed and rolled out catch-up immunization plans. The intensive efforts helped ensure that 450 children under five in Gorazde canton received their missed immunizations. Strengthen the continuity of essential health and nutrition services and the capacity of health service professionals Why this programme is needed U NIC EF/A lban ia20 21/M ilkan i UNICEF Albania Country Representative, Roberto De Bernardi and Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation, Hubert Perr, deliver protective personal equipment to a health centre in Durres. https://www.unicef.org/bih/en/stories/successful-immunization-children-bosnia-podrinje-canton https://www.unicef.org/bih/en/stories/successful-immunization-children-bosnia-podrinje-canton ISSUE #1 | November 2021 NEWSLETTER 3 With support from the EU-UNICEF programme, cold chain assessments in readiness for COVID-19 and routine immunization vaccines were completed. Rehabilitation plans were developed, and the procurement of needed equipment is underway, with additional support from EU4HEALTH and USAID. Kosovo*. The programme contributes to improved access, coverage, and demand for routine immunization and COVID-19 vaccine among Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptian communities. 77 volunteers and youth in 14 municipalities were trained in effective communication and data gathering to support catch-up campaigns. Training of 100 immunization professionals on interpersonal communication for immunization is ongoing. Support for optimal young child feeding Albania. With support from the programme, the Centre for Healthy Childhood is leading the implementation of the Baby-friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) standards in primary health care and maternity hospitals in Shkoder, Vlore, FIer, Kudkes, Berat, and Korce regions. Technical discussions are underway with the Ministry of Health and the National Centre for Quality Control and Accreditation of Health Institutions, for the integration of the WHO-UNICEF standards on breastfeeding into the accreditation of health care facilities. Provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) Albania. Gloves, masks, and gowns were provided to 63 health centres in Durres, Fier, and Elbasan to protect health personnel and patients from COVID-19 infection. Ensuring the continuation of home visiting services for families with young children Serbia. The programme provided support, including mobile phones and internet connectivity, to two primary health centres that introduced remote video counselling for families with young children via home visiting services. As of September 2021, more than 143 nurses received technical support, training, and quality assurance supervision for video counselling. Legislative amendments to institutionalise online home visiting are underway. North Macedonia. Functional analysis of the home visiting (patronage) system is currently being designed to study institutional organization and human capital development. The evidence base will inform future advocacy and strengthen the national home visiting system serving families with young children. Parents are happy about being reminded to bring in their children for routine vaccinations. We have reached 80 per cent of children who missed their shots during the pandemic. But we will complete all of them by the end of the year. Azemina Baelija, a nurse at Gora Health Centre, Bosnia and Herzegovina (video counselling) was useful for pregnant women because they were the most scared. These video calls were important because they could contact me. They called me individually and I told them what they can expect during and after childbirth. Olivera Olja, a visiting nurse in Kikinda, Serbia UN ICEF Srb ija/2 021/ ivo jinov i https://www.unicef.org/serbia/en/stories/innovative-support-provided-right-time NEWSLETTER ISSUE #1 | November 20214 For families, the disruption of routines, social distancing, and prolonged home confinement aggravated the stress brought on by deepening financial insecurity and continued uncertainty. The risk of violence and abuse in the family and online significantly increased. Vulnerable children, already isolated from friends and school, faced a heightened risk of violence at home, especially as access to child protection services became more difficult due to lockdown. The EU-UNICEF partnership aims to improve the identification and referral of vulnerable children to services, including to mental health and psychosocial support. In the last nine months, UNICEF has supported Western Balkan countries in strengthening child protection systems by enhancing the capacity of helplines and implementing technological solutions to reach more parents and vulnerable children. Capacity building and mental health support for social services professionals include: Strengthening helplines for children and parents Albania. In collaboration with the national child helpline, ALO 116 111, a child-friendly web-based channel and a mobile app were developed, enabling children to report violence, abuse, or exploitation. Since June, 40 cases have been reported through the Report Now platform. Children and young people also accessed the chat function to find out more about violence prevention, online safety, and reducing COVID-19 risk. Serbia. In February, a chatbot and Viber bot app were introduced in collaboration with the National Childrens Line (NADEL), which gave children additional options to report violence and access counselling. Since the introduction of the new channel, NADEL has provided more than 550 chat counselling sessions and responded to 13,200 phone calls. Plans are underway to promote the hotline through existing social, education, and child protection services. Bosnia and Herzegovina. Additional staff enabled the national child helpline to increase hours of operation and reach more children with psychosocial support and referral to child protection services. More than 8,550 calls were answered twice doubling the number in 2020. Reports of violence against children increased by 300 per cent. Montenegro. Capacity building efforts raised the quality of mental health counselling and referral for children calling into the 24/7 SOS child phone line. Between May and October, the toll-free helpline on positive parenting, supported and promoted through different channels with EU funds, responded to 1,340 calls from parents. Strengthening the continuity of child protection services and capacity of social work and social service professionals Every problem is worth talking about. Something that used to be a big problem and that was very difficult to solve is easier after talking to NADEL counsellors. Jelena, a former young NADEL caller, Serbia We do not offer instant solutions and we are not here to condemn parents, but to come to a solution together through conversation. Lepa Zunjic, a social worker at SOS parent helpline, Montenegro N ADEL A Frie ndly Cha t UN ICEF Mon tene gro/ Duk o M iljan i https://www.unicef.org/albania/press-releases/alo-116111-goes-live-unique-platform-report-violence-against-children-albania https://alo116.al/raporto-tani-2/ https://www.unicef.org/serbia/en/stories/nadel-friendly-chat https://www.unicef.org/montenegro/en/stories/sos-line-sanela-responds-children-247 https://www.unicef.org/montenegro/en/stories/sos-line-sanela-responds-children-247 https://www.unicef.org/montenegro/en/stories/sos-line-support-parents-need ISSUE #1 | November 2021 NEWSLETTER 5 UN ICEF Alb ania /SHK EJ/2 021 Kosovo*. In collaboration with the University of Pristina, a mapping was initiated on the social impact of the pandemic on children and families. The findings will inform capacity building efforts for the social services workforce. Turkey. UNICEF and the Ministry of Family and Social Services are finalizing plans for strengthening mental health and psychosocial support to families and children by telephone. Expanding support to the most vulnerable children North Macedonia. Strengthening of an existing online platform and training support to preschool teachers and social services personnel enabled children with disabilities to access additional opportunities to individualized rehabilitative and special educational support. Through the platform, 80 parents received individual and group counselling. Albania. In partnership with the local NGO, Shoqata Kombetare Edukim per Jeten (SHKEJ), children and young people at risk of trafficking, violence, and child labour were reached through a mobile unit operating in Tirana and Kamza. The initiative offers opportunities to learn about digital literacy and online safety. 100 vulnerable children benefited from psychosocial support. We cannot force our children to live and learn the way we have been used to. They are the next generation, and we need to follow them. Today, in addition to the classroom teaching and human encounters, we need to learn to handle digital tools, because we live reality in the virtual world. Semira Foo, a teacher in BiH UN ICEF Mon tene gro/ Duk o M iljan i In pre-pandemic times, UNICEF estimated1 that 1.3 million students in primary and secondary school were not achieving minimum proficiency in basic skills. The COVID-19 emergency worsened learning outcomes for children by disrupting classes for an average of 41 weeks: 50 per cent longer than in other Europe and Central Asia subregions and 30 per cent more than the EU average.2 UNICEF estimated that in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, on average, one child in three does not have access to any form of digital or broadcast remote learning.3 Among children who drop out of school, children with disabilities, minorities, and refugee and migrant children are the most vulnerable, disproportionately represented, and the least likely to return to education. The EU-UNICEF partnership supports inclusive teaching and learning for all children and is working to improve the quality and effectiveness of the digital learning environment, planning, policy development, and administration. In the past nine months, progress achieved through the EU-UNICEF partnership included: 1 UNICEF calculation using the most recent UNESCO Institute for Statistics out-of-school data and the most recent UIS and PISA data on minimum proficiency). 2 Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, N. Macedonia, and Serbia; no data available for Kosovo* 3 Estimates as of August 2020. Strengthening the continuity of education services and capacity of teachers The SHKEJ mobile team provides psychosocial support and raises online safety awareness among children between 10 and 17 years old in Tirana and Kamza, Albania. https://www.unicef.org/kosovoprogramme/media/2616/file/English-2021.pdf https://www.facebook.com/shkej.org/photos/pcb.10159709035632188/10159709034542188/ NEWSLETTER ISSUE #1 | November 20216 Page inside an interactive textbook on the Eduino e-library, North Macedonia. Regional level. The UNICEF Regional Office, in coordination with UNICEF country offices, is strengthening Ministries of Education and other partners to train teacher trainers on new materials starting in November 2021 and integrate ongoing support through experiential learning and communities of practice. UNICEF is developing a comprehensive resource package that offers a teacher competency framework modelled on EU and UNESCO examples. Teacher training modules are being developed to strengthen formative assessment in digital, distance and blended learning, shift instruction to digital environments, promote technologies that support quality, inclusive learning and pedagogical approaches to digital learning for all children. Strengthening schools and teacher capacities for quality, inclusive education Kosovo*. In four municipalities, a needs assessment of digital infrastructure and digital teaching is underway. ICT and assistive technology were procured and will be distributed to teachers and students in coordination with the Ministry of Education and Science. Bosnia and Herzegovina. A needs assessment around digital and blended learning is also underway and will inform follow-up capacity building for teachers. North Macedonia. The first national e-library for interactive textbooks was established as part of the Governments free Eduino platform. The e-library, accessible to teachers, students, and caregivers, will become a central hub for all digital teaching material including workbooks, and audio resources. Android and Windows app versions allow users to access digital resources even in communities with low connectivity. Support for safe opening of schools In Bosnia and Herzegovina, liquid disinfectants enabled the safe reopening of five special education schools in Sarajevo in March 2021. Early childhood intervention for children with disabilities and developmental difficulties is an emerging policy area across the Western Balkans. However, during the pandemic, preschools and early intervention services were suspended or severely limited. The EU-UNICEF partnership has contributed to the progress and results in several ECD activities and results: Strengthening the continuity of early childhood development (ECD) services Cover page of teacher training module. U NIC EF E CARO /202 1 ISSUE #1 | November 2021 NEWSLETTER 7 Strengthening support for ECD practitioners Regional level. The UNICEF Regional Office is developing an ECD e-learning platform for home visitors and early childhood intervention practitioners. The platform will host digital capacity building courses in multiple languages and can be embedded in existing training opportunities. Albania. Guidelines on inclusive education were updated and expanded to preschool level. Ongoing training and mentoring helped to strengthen the competencies of more than 445 pre-primary teachers and school directors from Durras, Kneza, and Tirana. Expanding digital solutions in support of parenting and early learning Regional level. A UNICEF open-source mobile app is providing guidance on nurturing care to parents of children up to six years old. The app includes a chatbot and games and is being adapted for Kosovo* and North Macedonia. Montenegro. The ParentChat programme has reached 50 parents with support and guidance on nurturing care for young children An additional 100 parents are targeted. North Macedonia. The national digital platform Eduino for teachers, students, and parents, is being upgraded to ensure access to quality digital early learning resources. A dedicated early childhood education (ECE) section will offer play-based learning materials and ECD-related community engagement activities such as calls for relevant quality digital content. Kosovo*. The ECD platform for children up to six years old is being strengthened with gaming features to engage over 5,000 children in learning language and math. Teacher training is ongoing. Improving services for children with developmental difficulties, including disabilities Regional level. A methodology to conduct situational analysis was developed and is being rolled out in Kosovo*, Montenegro, and North Macedonia. The evidence generated will inform future policy work for building cross-sectoral, family-centred systems supporting children with developmental difficulties, including disabilities. Bosnia and Herzegovina. International classifications in assessing disability in children are being introduced in selected cantons. To date, 50 professionals have been trained on applying these classifications. Serbia. A pilot of a national model for early childhood intervention and building paediatricians capacity to identify children at risk of developmental difficulties and disabilities is ongoing. To read more, visit us at: https://www.unicef.org/eca/mitigating-impact-covid-19-children-and-families-western-balkans-and-turkey The role of father is equally important as the role of mother, and I am giving my best to make my contribution real this is my motivation for participating in the ParentChat programme. Milos Rajkovic, a participant in ParentChat, Montenegro Milos Rajkovic, a participant in ParentChat programme, playing with his son, in Podgorica, in June 2021. Prototype of the nurturing care app. NEWSLETTER ISSUE #1 | November 20218 Contact: Ivelina Borisova, Regional Advisor, ECDiborisova@unicef.org Mitigating the impact of COVID-19 on children and families in the Western Balkans and Turkey | UNICEF Europe and Central Asia This publication was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of UNICEF and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union. https://www.unicef.org/eca/mitigating-impact-covid-19-children-and-families-western-balkans-and-turkey https://www.unicef.org/eca/mitigating-impact-covid-19-children-and-families-western-balkans-and-turkey https://www.unicef.org/eca/mitigating-impact-covid-19-children-and-families-western-balkans-and-turkey https://www.unicef.org/eca/mitigating-impact-covid-19-children-and-families-western-balkans-and-turkey Strengthen the continuity of essential health and nutrition services and the capacity of health service professionals Strengthening the continuity of child protection services and capacity of social work and social service professionals Strengthening the continuity of education services and capacity of teachers Strengthening the continuity of early childhood development (ECD) services Mitigating the impact of COVID-19 on children and families in the Western Balkans and Trkiye Welcome to the second issue of the Newsletter dedicated to the achievements of the EU-UNICEF partnership launched in January 2021 with the aim to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the lives of children and families in the Western Balkans and Trkiye. Since the launch, this partnership has contributed to increasing knowledge of practitioners and policy makers and analysis on health, education, child protection and early childhood development, expanding and innovating critical services for children and families and providing policy insight based on evidence. This EU-UNICEF partnership reached thousands of parents, children and service providers. Here are some of the highlights: More than 290,000 children were supported by equitable and inclusive digital learning in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia. More than 59,000caregivers and professionals supporting parents with young children in the Western Balkans have begun using Bebbo, a free parenting application developed by the UNICEF Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia, to receive expert information and advice on health, nutrition, development, play and learning and parenting of young children. Child helpline responders have replied to more than 110,000 calls with information and support for children and families in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Trkiye. With support from the EU, Bebbo has successfully launched in Albania, Kosovo*, Montenegro and North Macedonia in collaboration with local partners. The app was also launched in Serbia independently. An additional 240,000 parents in countries throughout Europe and Central Asia have benefitted from this open-source and innovative development. More than 13,500 children were immunized in Bosnia and Herzegovina as a result of the capacity strengthening of the health workers and Catch-up Immunization campaign. NEWSLETTER ISSUE 2 | November 2022 * Kosovo - This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence. NEWSLETTER ISSUE 2 | November 2022 Improving health and nutrition services during and after COVID-19 COVID-19 pandemic and response measures stretched the resources of health systems to respond to complex and widespread health pandemic. As a result, routine immunization of children, provision of essential maternal and child health care services to families and children, and breastfeeding support was disrupted. The EU-UNICEF partnership enabled critical funding for new knowledge and analysis that will support the responsiveness of the health systems in the Western Balkans, capacity building of health professionals, and continuation, expansion and innovation of essential health and nutrition services for mothers and children. What has changed thanks to the partnership with the EU? New knowledge on the impact of COVID-19 on essential health and nutrition services for mothers and children was generated by the UNICEF Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia. Based on the analysis, a set of country-specific policy briefs were prepared and shared with the governments of Western Balkans countries, so that critical health and nutrition services for mothers and children could be strengthened in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Home visiting services were analysed in North Macedonia. In Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia, services were strengthened and modernized. Read about the findings of the functional assessment of the home visiting services in North Macedonia here and see how home visiting is improving in Kosovo, through capacity building. Routine immunization was strengthened in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia through analysis, support for development of national plans for immunization, catch-up campaigns and capacity building. Find out more how trainings on interpersonal communication on immunization changed perspectives of health workers in Bosnia and Herzegovina and how a group of volunteers in Kosovo has made a positive difference in the routine immunization of vulnerable children Protection, promotion and support to breastfeeding was greatly improved through capacity building, awareness raising, improving breastfeeding protection legislation, and modernizing home visiting services, including tele counselling. Read more about how the support of educated health workers helped a young family in Serbia to persist with breastfeeding despite all odds. In Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia, infection prevention and control measures were strengthened through introduction of new protocols, monitoring and capacity building of health workers. These workshops for medical workers are very important. Ignorance can only be overcome with knowledge, and this is one of the best ways to showcase relevant available information, present it to people in the right way and help the right information reach the end user , says Borko Rajic, paediatric oncologist at Mostar clinical hospital and one of the lecturers at the workshops, Bosnia and Herzegovina. UNICEF/Panjeta Every visiting nurse contacts the parents, leaves her phone number so they can call her whenever they need help. But trust is key, and trust must be earned. And here, just like with every other family, I gained their trust by being available and giving them advice, Snezana Milutinovic, visiting nurse in Bor, Serbia UNICEF Srbija/2022 https://www.unicef.org/northmacedonia/press-releases/quality-patronage-services-are-core-preventive-health-care https://www.unicef.org/kosovoprogramme/stories/life-saving-knock-door https://www.unicef.org/bih/en/stories/ignorance-can-only-be-overcome-knowledge https://www.unicef.org/bih/en/stories/ignorance-can-only-be-overcome-knowledge https://www.unicef.org/bih/en/stories/ignorance-can-only-be-overcome-knowledge https://www.unicef.org/kosovoprogramme/stories/vaccination-volunteer-goes-extra-mile-health https://www.unicef.org/kosovoprogramme/stories/vaccination-volunteer-goes-extra-mile-health https://www.unicef.org/kosovoprogramme/stories/vaccination-volunteer-goes-extra-mile-health https://www.unicef.org/serbia/en/stories/kosta-mom-and-dad-three-superheroes https://www.unicef.org/serbia/en/stories/kosta-mom-and-dad-three-superheroes https://www.unicef.org/serbia/en/stories/kosta-mom-and-dad-three-superheroes NEWSLETTER ISSUE 2 | November 2022 Reversing the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on child protection and wellbeing The measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic increased the risks of violence against children, both online and in the home/institutions. Child and youth protection services, as well as reporting and identification mechanisms, have faced difficulties in continuing to operate. Thanks to the EU funding, social welfare services in the Western Balkans and Trkiye were strengthened to respond to the growing challenges in child protection in changed circumstances. What has changed in the child protection systems since the launch of the EU-UNICEF partnership in January 2021? Helplines for children and youth received a significant boost to build capacities of their staff, innovate their service to become more accessible through digital channels and to run outreach and public awareness campaigns. TikTok, Viber and bot chats helped the service providers to get closer to children and youth. In Serbia, since the introduction of chatbot and Viber bot app, National Childrens Line responded to 51,000 phone calls and provided 3,200 chat counselling sessions. As a result of a TikTok profile and support from young influencers on social media, the number of calls to the SOS Childrens Helpline in Montenegro almost tripled. In Trkiye, since the activation of the psychosocial support hotline in June 2022, 1,481 children and adults received counselling sessions over the phone and were referred to other relevant assistance services when required. Read how Blue Phone has supported mental health of children and youth in Bosnia and Herzegovina Digital platforms created thanks to the EU funding are becoming increasingly important for social welfare professionals in Montenegro and North Macedonia. Read how a one-stop shop makes a difference in the everyday job of social welfare professionals in Montenegro. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Trkiye social welfare professionals are equipped with new knowledge and tools so that they can provide improved child protection services online and offline. See an example of how a social worker, who was strengthened through the partnership, supports a foster parent in Kosovo. Digital literacy and online safety for children and parents was strengthened in Albania through a mobile outreach team who provided informative sessions, orientation, referral, and direct assistance to access online services in the municipality of Kamza. When they return home from work, parents are tired out. Most of them do not have time to dedicate to their children. To the parents, it appears normal for children to sit with a cell phone in their hand or work on a computer, in case the family owns one. They think children are getting themselves prepared for school the next day. They didnt know much about the risks online. Hence, the importance of the meetings we held. Parents were made to realize the damage that children may sustain online, said Bora Molla, the representative of Shkej the UNICEF implementing partner in Albania A workshop for parents in Tirana, Photo UNICEF/Shkej/2022 The platform was launched during the coronavirus pandemic, when staff were unable to meet in person, and needed a place to work together, learn and support each other. Ruica Stankovi, Institute for Social and Child Protection, Montenegro She is like a mother to us. She takes care of everything. We are always welcome at the Center. Even if we called her in the middle of the night, she was open with us. She gives solutions to all of our concerns, Vera Ndrecaj, a foster mom speaking about social worker Jozefina, Kosovo UNICEF Montenegro/Duko Miljani/2022 UNICEF/2022 https://www.unicef.org/bih/en/stories/blue-phone-plavi-telefon-help-right-time https://www.unicef.org/bih/en/stories/blue-phone-plavi-telefon-help-right-time https://www.unicef.org/bih/en/stories/blue-phone-plavi-telefon-help-right-time https://www.unicef.org/montenegro/en/stories/one-stop-shop-social-workers-serve-children-and-families-better https://www.unicef.org/montenegro/en/stories/one-stop-shop-social-workers-serve-children-and-families-better https://www.unicef.org/montenegro/en/stories/one-stop-shop-social-workers-serve-children-and-families-better https://www.unicef.org/kosovoprogramme/stories/one-big-heart-and-16-children https://www.unicef.org/kosovoprogramme/stories/one-big-heart-and-16-children https://www.unicef.org/kosovoprogramme/stories/one-big-heart-and-16-children https://www.unicef.org/kosovoprogramme/stories/one-big-heart-and-16-children NEWSLETTER ISSUE 2 | November 2022 Empowering teachers and innovating education for improved quality and inclusiveness COVID-19 and responsive measures accelerated the introduction of digital tools in teaching and learning in the Western Balkans. Education has not been enjoyed equally by all children during the pandemic, while an increase in distant modalities of learning presented new challenges to childrens rights, as not all children have equal access to digital technologies. In addition, education systems and teachers were forced to address and adapt to the new realities of teaching online and helping children learn with frequent disruptions. The EU-UNICEF partnership helped governments, teachers and educators in the Western Balkans to navigate and introduce changes in education policies and legislation and in schools. How has the EU-UNICEF partnership supported education systems, teachers, parents and children in adapting education to the new realities and what has changed? To support remote and online learning, UNICEF Regional office developed the Educators Digital Competency Framework (EDC). It was developed to support education stakeholders in empowering teachers, improving online teaching and boosting innovation in education. Based on the EDC framework, the Regional Office launched five training packages that promote inclusive, digital and blended learning. Each training package includes a module, a manual for teacher trainers and a digital interactive course that could be easily integrated into national platforms to support the development of educators digital-pedagogical competencies. Read more how the Regional Office is supporting educators to improve inclusive and quality learning through digital technologies and find all the modules here. Access to learning for students with disabilities and learning difficulties has been improved in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, 67 schools were equipped with sets of assistive technology. In Montenegro, children with speech difficulties were supported with the donation of tablets equipped with equipped with C-Board, communication application. Teachers, speech therapists, special education professionals and parents in North Macedonia have been trained on using alternative and augmentative communication to support the development, early inclusion and education of children with complex communication needs. Introducing digital technologies into teaching and learning became part of official government policy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and North Macedonia. In Montenegro, the Education system digitalization strategy (2022-2027) and Standards for Quality and Inclusiveness of Digital Textbooks and Interactive Materials were developed and adopted by the Government of Montenegro and the National Council for Education, while in North Macedonia, newly developed interactive digital textbooks became available to students free of charge, while teachers have begun utilising a digital platform for crowdsourcing and sharing quality teaching materials with other educators. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, Guidelines for blended and online learning were developed. Thousands of teachers and educators upgraded their teaching skills by using digital tools in education and methods of inclusive pedagogy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia due to extensive capacity building activities. Read how the capacity building activities changed teachers and the way that they see contemporary teaching in Montenegro. The use of digital instruments in teaching is essential because we live in a digital world, and it is necessary to make schools part of that world.Marija Bojic, teacher, Montenegro UNICEF Montenegro/Duko Miljani/2022 https://www.unicef.org/eca/media/24526/file/Educators' Digital Competence Framework.pdf https://www.unicef.org/eca/media/24526/file/Educators' Digital Competence Framework.pdf https://www.unicef.org/eca/stories/equipping-educators-inclusive-digital-teaching-and-learning https://www.unicef.org/eca/stories/equipping-educators-inclusive-digital-teaching-and-learning https://www.unicef.org/eca/stories/equipping-educators-inclusive-digital-teaching-and-learning https://ecaro.learningpassport.unicef.org/ https://www.unicef.org/montenegro/en/stories/more-interesting-and-higher-quality-teaching-new-technologies https://www.unicef.org/montenegro/en/stories/more-interesting-and-higher-quality-teaching-new-technologies NEWSLETTER ISSUE 2 | November 2022 The EU-UNICEF partnership: A booster for early childhood development Majority of young children, especially children born in 2020 and onwards, do not know life without COVID-19. During the pandemic, early childhood intervention services were disrupted and caregivers of young children with developmental risks, delays and disabilities had to wait or find alternative ways to support the development of their children. Parenting support and inclusive pre-school education was also disrupted. The partnership between UNICEF and the EU allowed for governments to receive greater support, and service providers and parents to learn new ways to address multiple needs of young children and deliver support to families during the pandemic. How did the EU-UNICEF partnership ensure a boost in services supporting development of young children and their families? Parenting support in the form of the Bebbo parenting application was successfully launched in Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia (independently). Bebbo provides parents of young children with expert advice and information about health, vaccines, growth, breastfeeding and nutrition, learning and play. Since the launch, more than 59,000 users have downloaded and used the app in these countries.** Learn how Bebbo was launched in North Macedonia and Albania this summer. The regional early childhood development section launched an e-learning platform with digital training resources for home visitors and early childhood intervention practitioners, with more than 20 digital courses for home visitors and ECD professionals already available for translation and use. Additional courses are under preparation and will be available by the end of 2022. Learn more about the platform LearnECD. New knowledge and analyses regarding early childhood intervention were generated in Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia. All three countries are currently finalizing their Early Childhood Intervention Situation Analyses with recommendations for strengthening national policies. Trainings, webinars, and knowledge sharing opportunities enhanced the understanding and competencies of policy makers and practitioners in the area of early childhood intervention (ECI) for children with developmental difficulties. Additionally, a resource toolbox that supports the roll-out of reforms needed for establishment of effective early childhood intervention services was developed by the UNICEF Regional Office. Furthermore, more than 160 policy makers and practitioners from the Western Balkans will meet to exchange on early childhood intervention knowledge and experiences at a regional conference on 9 November 2022. In Serbia, early childhood intervention services were implemented more widely. The reach of these services expanded from 5 to 13 municipalities. With this expansion, more than 2,400 children have been supported through cross-sectorial ECI services from early detection of developmental difficulty to family-centred support. This was possible in part thanks to The app is useful because it defies stereotypical behaviour. Childcare and child upbringing is the responsibility of both parents. I may download games or recreational activities to stimulate the childs brain and learn together in this process, Artur, father of a young boy, Albania UNICEF Albania ** Funding from the EU in this activity supported the development of some additional features of the application and enhancements, as well as ongoing technical support to the country offices in the Western Balkans during the adaptation phase. https://www.unicef.org/northmacedonia/press-releases/unicef-launches-parenting-app-bebbo-support-parents-and-caregivers-young-children https://www.unicef.org/albania/press-releases/free-easy-use-app-give-children-good-start-lifetime-launched-albania https://www.unicef.org/eca/learnecd NEWSLETTER ISSUE 2 | November 2022 13 national trainers who were initially trained through the EU-UNICEF project on mitigating the impact of COVID-19, who trained additional 266 professionals from health, education, and social welfare sectors who began delivering improved early childhood intervention services in the new municipalities. Support to children with communication difficulties was provided in Montenegro through a programme that supplied them with tablets. Preschool professionals and parents were trained on how to use the C-Board application and support children in using it. C-Board is an open-source software that supports children with complex communication needs express their needs, feelings and thoughts. Read how C-board application helped Seid, a six-year old boy from Podgorica to communicate what he needs. We are frequently prey to inaccurate information or an internet infodemic that misleads or concerns parents. As a result, I am delighted that the Bebbo app, which is available in Albanian, is now accessible. Experts have confirmed it, it is scientifically proven, and it gives simple information that can be easily downloaded and used.Ms. Ogerta Manastirliu, Minister of Health and Social Protection, Albania UNICEF We can use assistive technology to educate children and help them develop, communicate, and participate. This is what the C-board application was designed to do, and the results are good. Anita Maric, Bureau for Education, Montenegro UNICEF Montenegro / Duko Miljani / 2021 We know the importance of the early years in life and the support to parents to make informed decisions when it comes to the health of their child. Health cannot be seen in isolation from other societal segments as they interplay and interact constantly. Bebbo is an example of cross-sectoral and systematic support for parents. Bekim Sali, Minister of Health, North Macedonia Ministry of Health, North Macedonia FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:Ivelina BorisovaRegional Adviser, Early Childhood DevelopmentUNICEF Regional Office for Europe and Central Asiaiborisova@unicef.org This publication was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of UNICEF and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union. https://www.unicef.org/montenegro/en/stories/c-board-helps-seid-communicate https://www.unicef.org/montenegro/en/stories/c-board-helps-seid-communicate
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