ECI Agora Project

Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) provides specialised services to infants and young children with additional support needs and their families, to aid their development, well-being and participation in family and community life.

Well-developed ECI systems can help to fulfil the rights of children with disabilities, promote rich and fulfilling childhoods and prepare children for full and meaningful participation in adulthood.

In Europe today there remains a divide in access rates to quality ECI services however and despite the proven benefits of ECI it is rarely high on the political agenda of policy makers.

The ECI Agora project aims to change this and support the development of adequate ECI systems at a local and national level by:

• Supporting staff professionalisation in ECI services through the development of training modules adaptable to the needs and context of each organisation.
• Creating an all-embracing learning and convening space to bring together essential actors to co-produce high quality ECI services.
• Producing practical guidance and tools to provoke a systemic change on the social welfare system.
• Developing examples that can serve as inspiring guidelines for other countries in Europe and other groups of children with special needs or at risk of exclusion.

The ECI Agora toolbox will support organisations to develop accessible ECI systems, that work with and empower children and their families, by providing training modules on:

• Common definition and key concepts of ECI
• Family-centred processes
• Collaboration, teamwork and transdisciplinary work
• Moments of encounter
• Change management