PROJECT “DEFINITIVE START PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT TO ACHIEVE THE SAFETY AND WELL-BEING OF FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN FROM 0 TO 3 (6 *) YEARS IN THE COMMUNITY”

PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT
Development, implementation and dissemination of the Safe Start program in centers to provide social services to support families with children aged 0 to 3 (6) who are in difficult life circumstances or in crisis to ensure the safety, well-being and well-being of children development

PROJECT DURATION
January 2021 – April 2022

Target audience of the project: leaders and employees of state and public organizations that implement the program “Sure Start”

Project beneficiaries: families with children from 0 to 3 (6) years old who are in difficult life circumstances or in crisis

EXPLANATION OF TERMS

“Sure Start” Center (hereinafter – the Center)

institution on the basis of which the program Sure Start is implemented for families with children from 0 to 3 (6) years who are in difficult life circumstances or in crisis

“Sure Start” Program (hereinafter – the Program)

locally organized services for families at risk or families in difficult life circumstances who have children from 0 to 3 (6) years in order to ensure the safety, well-being and development of children, through complex work with little kids together with their families at the community level

“Sure Start” Model (hereinafter – the Model)

a model of work of the specialist, which is based on the principles of the program “Sure Start” and 6 areas of child development, according to which the work with families with children from 0 to 3 (6) years is being planned

“Sure Start” Training Program (hereinafter – the Training Program)

training for managers and workers of the “Sure Start” Centers, based on the competency approach, which provides the necessary level of competencies within the program “Sure Start” for working with families with children from 0 to 3 (6) years who are in difficult life circumstances or in crisis

“Sure start” Training Manual (hereinafter – Training Manual) 

a four-volume manual based on a Hungarian-language guide for “Sure Start” Program staff, which describes the program and includes a set of tools and methods of working with families with children aged 0 to 3 (6) that are in difficult life circumstances or in crisis

PROJECT TASKS

1. Development of a training manual “Sure Start“, which describes the services, tools and methods of work for the implementation of the program in organization and community
2. Development of a training program for leaders and employees of future Centers
3. Creating a video course “Sure Start” based on the developed training program for the online platform in order to create an automated training for leaders and workers of future Centers
4. Project promotion and partnership for the implementation of the program “Sure Start” in organizations and communities
5. Conducting training on an online platform for leaders and employees of partner organizations that implement the program “Sure Start”
6. Monitoring and evaluation of the effectiveness of the training 

PROJECT RESULTS

1. Leaders and workers of the Center can use the training manual “Sure Start” for the implementation of social services according to the program
2. Developed and tested training program and automated online video course for leaders and employees of organizations that implement the program
3. Families with children from 0 to 3 (6) years old who are in difficult life circumstances or in crisis receive quality services in the established Centers

ABOUT THE PROGRAM “SURE START”

The “Sure Start” program is a locally organized service for families at risk or families in difficult life circumstances who have children from 0 to 3 (6) years of age in order to ensure the safety, well-being and development of children, by integrated work with little kids together with their families at the community level

The Sure Start program is based on best practices in supporting low-income families and young mothers that have been implemented in the United States since 1965 and in the United Kingdom since 1998. The Sure Start program was established in 2003-2006 as a result of the adaptation of best international practices to post-Soviet realities and tested in Hungary, where it is still being implemented to support families living below the poverty line

PRINCIPLES OF THE “SURE START” PROGRAM

IMPACT ON TWO GENERATIONS

involving parents with their children

REFUSAL TO STIGMATIZE

“problematic families”

PARTNERSHIP INSTEAD OF TRAINING

supporting parents and creating conditions for the development of their parental potential

COMPLEXITY

the program covers all important factors (health, development, welfare, socialization, etc.)

STABILITY

the program lasts long enough to achieve significant positive changes

ACCESSIBILITY 

the program is designed for the local community and covers all its residents

“SURE START” MODEL 

• PARTNERSHIP INSTEAD OF TRAINING
• INTERACTION WITH THE COMMUNITY
• STABILITY
• ACCESSIBILITY OF SERVICES
• REFUSAL OF STIGMATIZATION

What will the child get?

• Support, security and well-being
• Сonditions for development and meeting its needs
• Regular time with parents
• Improved quality of parenting
• Integrated development by carrying out activities in accordance with his/her age
• Support for children with special needs, including access to specialized services

What will the family get?

• Strengthening and developing parenting abilities and skills
• Assistance during pregnancy, preparation for childbirth and parenthood
• Individual consultations on education, health, organization of medical examination, etc.
• Training materials and useful information
• Family visits in order to assess needs and encourage in joining the Safe Start program
• Safe and friendly environment for spending time and doing household procedures (bathing, cooking, etc.)

What will the community get?

• Access to the resources for development, contact with institutions and experts in the community
• Informing representatives of local authorities and stakeholders about the implementation of the program “Sure Start”
• Strengthening integration and inclusiveness, prevention of segregation of risk groups

What will the state get?

• Reduction of the workload on educational institutions due to the reduction of school failure
• Increase of the parental capacity of the population
• Reduction of social expenditures and increase of tax revenues
• Reduction of expenses caused by criminal offenses
• Breaking the vicious circle of poverty and destitution

*means providing assistance to families with children under 6 years of age when there is no preschool in the community