SOS Children‘s Villages Bosnia and Herzegovina SOS Mobile Kindergartens

1. Investing in your future! A LOVING HOME FOR EVERY CHILD SOS Children‘s Villages Bosnia and Herzegovina SOS Mobile Kindergartens “This document is prepared under the project“Exchange and cooperation for better welfare of children”, No.: BG051PO001-7.0.07-0086-C0001, implemented with the financial support of the Human Resources DevelopmentOperational Programme co-financed by the European Social Fund of the European Union.”

2. The begining and the idea SOS Mobile kindergarten started in Gorazde in2004 and in Mostar in 2006 • The idea was: • To prepare children from rural areas for the first grade of primary school • To reach our target group • To strenghten the relationships with local communities • To raise number of children attendingpreschool education in Bosnia • Statistic shows 10-12%

3. Our target group Children from the alternative care Children at risk of losing parental care Children from the communities whose rights to education are violated

4. Negotiations • Visit to primary schools and meeting with school management in order to present the project • Official Permition from the Cantonal Ministry of education • Signing Memorandum of Understanding with Municipality

5. Necessary resources and first activities • Employment of teachers • Adequate space/classrooms • Didactic material • Car for transportation of teachers to locations • Pedagogue as coordinator of the project • „Spreading the word“ – adverts for the local communities • Enrolement of children

6. Schools as important partners Schools offer classrooms, cleaning, electricity, water, toilets, cooperation with school staff Different requests from different schools: • Bosnian and Croat Curriculum • Differencies in size of premises and available equipement • Adjustment to school schedule

7. Statistics • Gorazde • 162 children age 3 - 6 in school year 2013/14 • 2 locations • Mostar • 106 children age 3 – 6 in school year 2013/14 • 3 locations

8. How do we support children • We respect the individual needs of every child • We help children express their emotions • We teach children to speak and express their opinions • We infuance and follow their phisical, social and emotional developpment • We teach them to make decisions and solve the problems • We prepare children for the • first grade of primary school • We make partnership with teachers • in order to support children • We follow their results at school

9. Curriculum and Pedagogical documents • Annual plan for Mobile Kindergartens (September) • Focus on preparation for school • No official pedagogical documentation (only Main book – records of enrolled children) • Purpously developed documentation: Attendance book, Check lists - Individual development of children, Monthly reports – activities done in past month

10. Multidisciplinary team • Family strenghtening project professionals (social workers, psychologist) • Kindergarten pedagogue • Mobile Kindergarten teacher Role of MDT: • Support for parents and children - individual talks and activities • Agreement on following steps and responsibilities in order to help child‘s development • Education of parents

11. Results The results of our work are collected throught Individual development of children (check lists) and follow up measures. The results are: • Good results of the assessment of readines for school (test results) • Good results on Elementary school success indicators (at the end of first grade) • Better understanding of benefits of preschool education among parents, teachers, school managements • No drop out in the first year • No cases of ommission of enrolements

12. Transferability • It is possible to transfer the project to other settings but it is necessary to have: • Well – educated and experienced teachers • Transportation for teachers to location • Adequate premises for work • Volunteers can be engaged in process but only as assistants (could be parents) • Follow up of local legislation (Local standards for size of groups, square meters per child, etc.) • Good to connect to primary schools (cheaper, adequate space, very often well equiped)

13. Reality and political situation • Preschool Law on Federal level exsits since 2009 • 8 out of 10 Cantons adopted the Law (Herzegovina-Neretva Canton is one of those who did not accepted yet for 7 years) • Political situation within Mostar is difficult as national parties are blocking the elections. Town government is not functional as it lost their mandate. • Since there is no new preschool lawthere is no obligation for local government to financially support Mobile Kindergartens. • Gorazde has financial support from Cantonal Ministry of Education (150 hours per school year)

14. Sustainability • During the past years Mobile Kindergartens had different donors – but no sustainable partner in the project • Most of the donors are covering expences for one school year – this does not give sustainability to the project • SOS Children Villages is constantly looking for new donors • We hope that Preschool Law will be adopted and responsibility taken by the government The state still does not have the capacities or willingnes to recognize Mobile Kindergartens as good intervention of pre-school education for children, especially children from vulneralbe social groups

15. Lessons learned • “Mobile Kindergartens” are efficient project for preparation of children for elementary school education, • Parents are prepared and more active partners to work with teachers and other school employees and as support in their children development, • Schools accepted our project and are very positive regarding results of “Mobile Kindergarten”, • Project needs continuous financial support, • Joined resource usage of all SOS Children’s Villages B&H programs in Gorazde and Mostar is efficient way to approach more beneficiaries, • More beneficiaries of SOS Family Strengthening Program are aware of support they can get and they approach personal easily, • “Mobile Kindergarten” activities should be conducted by professional and well educated staff while volunteers can assist them

16. Weprovideeducation We provide education

17. We strengthen families

18. We want more children to have the access to preeschol education

19. THANK YOU for listening!