We pour enormous resources into policies, infrastructure, and funding to build stronger societies—but we overlook one of the most powerful forces for change: children. Not just as future adults, but as young active participants shaping their communities, even during their early years. 

This was evident during a recent visit to Rome, where a single child’s decision to attend school sparked a ripple effect that transformed an entire community.

A Visit to a Roma Settlement: The Unexpected Role of Children

On the outskirts of Rome, a Roma settlement stands fenced in by barbed wire, with a police car permanently stationed at the entrance.  Most of the people who live in the camp are Italian born, yet they exist on the fringes of society, facing generations of exclusion. Legal documents, formal housing, and even school enrollment are often out of reach.

We visited the camp with ISSA Member 21 Luglio, a local organization that has been working for years to support Roma families in accessing their rights. A young Roma father shared how he was unsure when 21 Luglio first approached him about registering his daughter for school. No other child from the camp was enrolled, because of the institutional wall erected between camp and neighborhood residents, resulting in a lack of mutual trust, estrangement, and a sense of hopelessness. At the same time, he wanted her to develop the confidence to participate in society in a way that he and the rest of the camp did not, and to have a better chance in the world.

However, it wasn’t just his decision—his daughter’s determination led the way. She got up, dressed herself, and put on her backpack before anyone else even woke up, so keen was she to get to class. Now, her family says school has become her whole world.

What happened next was truly remarkable. Within a year, 95% of the children in the camp were enrolled. Grandmothers—once skeptical—became the fiercest advocates, ensuring the children got to school each day. And the ripple effects extended even further. Parents at the camp explained that with better routines, the children became healthier, and that they themselves were now free to seek work, find jobs—some at a nearby Sheraton, others taking driving lessons. Families were better able to integrate into the broader community.

It started with one child walking through the school doors—but in doing so, she paved the way for an entire community to follow. This is what child participation looks like in action. It’s not just about access to education or services—it’s about recognizing that children themselves play an essential role in shaping their own communities.

Investing in Child Participation: A Smart and Necessary Choice

Children influence the world around them in ways we are only beginning to understand. As a network focused on early childhood development, ISSA champions collaborative efforts that drive lasting change—co-creating best practices, scaling solutions, and maximizing impact where it is needed most. Working as a network amplifies and accelerates impact. Furthermore, in leveraging the strengths and mechanisms of our network, we are able to support our members in collectively pioneering new advances in ECD such as young children’s participation.  We are pleased that the European Commission recognizes the importance of advancing child participation, particularly in vulnerable communities, and are grateful for its support of two new projects: TOY4PARTICIPATION and CHAVORE.

TOY4Participation, builds on the success of TOY FOR INCLUSION, which established 40 Play Hubs across Europe, providing safe spaces for children and families to connect and learn. TOY FOR INCLUSION was awarded by an expert academy board one of the 100 most impactful and scalable innovations worldwide out of a pool of 3,000 innovations.  TOY4PARTICIPATION takes this work further—ensuring that even the youngest children have a voice in shaping their education and communities. 

The TOY4Participation consortium, comprised of ISSA members, funded by the European Commission, and led by International Child Development Initiatives (NL), includes: Open Academy Step by Step (Croatia), Partners for Democratic Change/Partners Hungary Foundation (Hungary), Associazione 21 Luglio and Cubo Libro (Italy), Centre for Education Initiatives - CEI (Latvia), Skola dokoran - Wide Open School (Slovakia), Educational Research Institute (Slovenia), Labor and Health Social Initiatives (Ukraine), and For Our Children Foundation (Bulgaria), and the ISSA Hub as a communication impact and dissemination partner.

CHAVORE focuses on the mental well-being of young children in vulnerable communities. The initiative also builds on the REYN initiative's unique focus of spotlighting the needs of young Roma children. By equipping caregivers and early childhood professionals with culturally responsive tools, CHAVORE ensures that child participation is at the core of solutions tailored to the needs of marginalized families. Funded by the European Commission, the consortium is comprised of ISSA members, led by Educational Research Institute (Slovenia), and includes Open Academy Step by Step (Croatia), Partners Hungary Foundation (Hungary), Skola dokoran - Wide Open School (Slovakia), and Kosovo Education Center (Kosovo), and the ISSA Hub.

Over the next two years, we will share the impact of TOY4PARTICIPATION and CHAVORE, amplifying the voices of the children, families, and practitioners at the heart of this work. We invite policymakers, funders, and partners to invest in child participation from the earliest years of life—not just as a policy priority, but as a proven strategy for building stronger, more inclusive societies. As we’ve seen in Rome, when children have the chance to grow, learn, and be heard, they don’t just shape their own futures—they transform the world around them.