F.R.I.E.N.D.E.S.K.

A report, based on qualitative and quantitative information gathered from professionals involved in the ECEC services, will analyze the situation of children exclusion and the quality of ECEC systems at European, national and local level. It will also include the guidelines for the implementation of the “Hub & Spoke” model at local level and the creation of the “Family Help Desk”.

A series of innovative training activities will be designed, addressed to teachers, psychologists, professionals from nurseries, primary schools, healthcare services etc., with the aim to increase their professional skills. The training programme will consist of contents, methodologies, learning activities, evaluation criteria and learning outcomes in order to improve the quality of ECEC systems and to implement the F.R.I.E.N.D.E.S.K. model in each country. The training package will include an offline training based on competences and an online training linked to the web platform.

The local administration of each involved municipality will launch a political working table with all the ECEC stakeholders in order to discuss about the “modelling” of the Family Help-Desks and embed its measures into the internal social policy. The involved local decision-makers will meet up in Brussels with the goal to launch a European-wide strategy on ECEC and teaming up throughout the experimentation period.

The Family Help-Desks will launch simultaneously throughout Europe and will be activated by engaging with the targeted families. Households will receive concrete help from the Family Help-Desks. One middle-term evaluation will be carried out in order to provide the Help-Desks with possible adjustments.

An integrated interactive platform (MOOC) will be designed, intended not only to provide training but also to contribute to the development of the researchers’ identity and their efficient participation in the community. The platform will allow to maximize access, dissemination and exchange of knowledge generated by students and teachers, and to promote competitiveness and quality of training.

The Regional Directorate for Primary and Secondary Education of Thessaly will provide recommendations to public entities in order to improve the quality of ECEC systems. Specifically, it will provide guidance on how to tackle child poverty and social exclusion through measures such as family support and benefits, quality childcare and early-childhood education.