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Child's drawing with text: "It takes a village to raise a child. But what happens when that village is hit by disaster?

Save the Date: Launch of ISSA's ECD in Emergencies Compendium

Date: 04-11-2025

Date: November 26, 2025
Time: 14.00 - 16.00 CET
Platform: Zoom – Register here

In recent years, ISSA members have responded to overlapping crises — from pandemics and displacement to natural disasters and armed conflicts — that have severely impacted young children and families. These experiences underscored a key insight: while individual interventions like psychosocial support or educator training are essential, true resilience requires system-level preparedness.

The newly developed Compendium on Early Childhood Development (ECD) in Emergencies captures lessons learned from ISSA members’ responses and presents a framework built around five core components of system preparedness:

  1. Emergency Preparedness and Response Systems
  2. Resilient and Flexible Service Delivery
  3. Workforce Capacity and Well-being
  4. Integrated Mental Health and Psychosocial Support
  5. Governance, Coordination, and Accountability

Together, these components show how strengthening preparedness not only improves crisis response but also builds more equitable, sustainable ECD systems.

Purpose of the Event: 
This webinar will mark the official launch of the Compendium on ECD in Emergencies. It will:

  • Highlight the Compendium as a collective achievement of ISSA members.
  • Showcase diverse member experiences in responding to crises.
  • Encourage dialogue on chronic system weaknesses exposed by emergencies.
  • Promote system-level thinking for sustainable, long-term preparedness.
  • Celebrate and motivate members through shared learning and reflection.

What Participants Can Expect:

  • Compendium insights: A closer look at the five components of ECD preparedness.
  • Member stories: Real-world examples from various emergency contexts.
  • Interactive discussion: Reflections on system strengths, gaps, and future priorities.
  • Engagement: Polls and Q&A with participants.
  • Key takeaways: How preparedness efforts strengthen ECD systems over time.

ISSA Members Featured:

  • Ayça Alaylı – Program Manager, ISSA (Facilitator)
  • Mihaela Ionescu – ISSA
  • Eleonora Kulcar – Transcarpathian Regional Charitable Fund Blaho
  • Gabriella Brent – AMNA Refugee Healing Network
  • Robert Szczęsny – Comenius Foundation for Child Development
  • Giulia Cortellesi – International Child Development Initiatives (ICDI)
  • M. Koray Tanrısever – ASAM
  • Betül Olgun – AÇEV
  • Gerda Sula – Step by Step Albania
  • Linka Toneva – Trust for Social Achievement
  • Rositsa Bogalinska – Rise International

Join us to explore how we can move from isolated interventions toward sustainable, system-level preparedness — building stronger early childhood systems for all children.

🔗 Register here