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Dear Eurlyaid members and colleagues !
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In 2023 we have been very active. A summarySo about this activities you find in this newsletter :
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EURLYAID International Conference 2023 in Prague : Bridging Gaps and Building Connections
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In the heart of Prague, where historic architecture meets modern innovation, the EURLYAID International Conference took place from May 15th to May 16th, 2023. The theme, "Creating Early Childhood Intervention Together – Building Bridges," resonated not only with the picturesque city surroundings but also with the spirit of the conference itself.
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Much like the iconic bridges that span the Vltava River and connect different parts of Prague, the conference aimed to bridge gaps and foster connections in the field of Early Childhood Intervention (ECI). EURLYAID, the European Association on Early Childhood Intervention and czech organisation Společnost pro ranou péči, organized this event to bring together professionals from various fields, parents, and children with special needs.
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A total of 550 participants from 23 countries converged in Prague, transforming the city into a global hub for discussions, knowledge exchange, and collaboration.
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The keynote speakers, including Michael Guralnick (U.S.A.), Tim Moore (Australia), Marylin Espe-Sherwind (U.S.A.), and Ibrahim Dicken (Turkey), illuminated the conference with their expertise and global perspectives.
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One of the standout moments of the conference was the practical workshop led by Denise Luscombe from Australia, focusing on positioning techniques. Luscombe's workshop received widespread acclaim for its hands-on approach and practical insights.
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The conference provided a platform for experts in early childhood development, educators, healthcare professionals, and policymakers to share their knowledge and experince. Workshops, panel discussions, and presentations delved into innovative approaches, research findings, and best practices in ECI.
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XIV National Congress on Early Intervention Coimbra 19th to 20th Oct 2023
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The ANIP XIV National Congress on Early Intervention, after a 5-year hiatus, finally took place in Coimbra on October 19 & 20, once again, aimed to contribute to improve Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) practices and, thus, strengthen the National Early Childhood Intervention System (the SNIPI) by bringing together professionals and families. This year became particularly important, as ANIP celebrated 25 years of work dedicated exclusively to Early Intervention in Portugal.
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So, the conference was an opportunity to celebrate, in a fruitful environment, collaboration, exchange of experiences and reflection, bringing together practices, policies and scientific evidence, with a view to sharing what has been done so far, what is currently being done, but fundamentally, think about what we can all, together, “do better” in Early Childhood Intervention in the country. Around 400 participants attended the conference.
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The conference intended to promote an exchange of internationally recognized ECI practices, bringing together in Coimbra, Portuguese speakers with high practical, political and scientific knowledge and experience in this area and speakers with international scientific recognition from the USA (Marilyn Espe-Sherwindt and Robin McWilliam), Europe (Eurlyaid) and Australia (Tim Moor). Eurlyaid was invited to be present and Ana Maria Serrano and Noor Van Loen participated on a round table “Advances and Challenges in Early Childhood Intervention: Portugal and Europe [Sharing and reflection on the adoption of integrated ECI systems in several countries] “.
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Growing in community: International Congress on Early Intervention in Toledo, 19th to 20th Oct 2023
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The International Congress on Early Intervention, took place in Toledo, on October 19 & 20.
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The conference was an opportunity to celebrate the 10 years of the beginning of the process of transformation of their services to family centered practices.
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National and international experiences related to research and practice were share on topics such as: working with families, child development, learning environments, among others. Around 550 participants attended from 21 nationalities.
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The conference intended to promote an exchange of nationally and internationally recognized ECI practices, speakers with high practical, political and scientific knowledge and experience in this area and speakers with international scientific recognition from the USA (Peggy Kemp amd Susan Shapiro), Europe (Eurlyaid) Eurlyaid was invited to be present and Snezana Ilic participated on a round table Early Intervention around the world.
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Marian Ferrús, president of Plena Inclusión Valencian Community and vice-president of Plena Inclusion Spain, presented the Positioning on Early Intervention of Plena Inclusion Spain.
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This document calls for a state law that unifies criteria and guarantees the provision of a public service, universal and free of charge, which should reach to all families with sons and daughters with intellectual disabilities.
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On the 14th, 15th and 16th of November, a study visit took place in Portugal at the request of the UNICEF Geneva Office, with a group of 35 elements from different Ministries and institutions, to know about the work and functioning of the Portuguese National Early Childhood Intervention System (SNIPI), and also the operationalization of this work at local level in Coimbra where the group was hosted by National Association of Early Childhood Intervention (ANIP). On the first day, the visit took place in Lisbon with members of the SNIPI National Commission, coordinated by Inês Amaro and with the Subcommittee from the Lisbon and Tagus Valley Region with representatives of the 3 different Ministries: Education, Health and Social Services. The group, included participants from Albania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Serbia, Tajikistan, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, Belarus, elements of UNICEF Central OFFICE Switzerland and one element from UNICEF Head Quarter, New York.
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In ANIP Coimbra the group had two moments of sharing good practices in ECI with ECI teams and also had the opportunity to visit in small groups: Nursery and Kindergarten ANIP, Coimbra Children's Hospital, Eugénio de Castro School Group / Solum Sul School Center and Cantanhede Family Health Center.
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This visit was a very rich experience that allowed this group to get to know ECI in Portugal and the work carried out by SNIPI, ANIP and the ECI teams in the district of Coimbra, particularly concerning the articulation of the Ministries for serving children and their families.
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We enjoyed sharing all these experiences, which were very enriching for everyone involved.
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Coimbra- ANIP 15 & 16 November
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Moldova conference on 30th Nov 2023
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On Thursday, 30 November 2023, Eurlyaid Consultants Jose Boavida and Marilyn Espe-Sherwindt were keynote speakers at the International Conference on Early Childhood Intervention in Chisinau, Moldova.
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The conference was sponsored by the Republic of Moldova Ministry of Health, UNICEF, and National Institute of Early Childhood Intervention. Jose spoke about the Portuguese experience in shifting from a medical approach to an integrated national system, and Marilyn spoke about the role of quality standards in ECI.
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On Friday Jose and Marilyn were invited to meet with representatives from UNICEF, Government Ministries, WHO, the National Institute of Early Childhood Intervention, local organizations, the RISE Institute, and members of the Moldovan Parliament to discuss their vision and progress in building and sustaining a national system of ECI. Eurlyaid is honored by such opportunities to be involved in sharing knowledge with and learning from countries who are committed to creating high quality ECI systems for their young children and their families.
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Best regards from the Eurlyaid board
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