• The deadline for the submission of proposals for ISSA’s 2014 Conference has been extended to May 30.

In response to the requests received from several participants, ISSA is pleased to inform that the deadline for the submission of proposals has been extended two more weeks. Interested applicants are invited to fill in the form following the guidelines on the conference website. On June 30 the Conference Program Committee will announce the selected proposals. As announced earlier, ISSA’s 2014 International Conference will take place in Budapest, Hungary, from the 10th until the 12th October, 2014. The Conference marks ISSA’s 15th anniversary as a learning community devoted to Early Childhood Development, and the 20th anniversary of the Open Society Foundations’ Step by Step Program, upon whose legacy and resulting network ISSA continues to build. Under the title Creating a Society for All – Reconsidering Early Childhood Services, the conference aims to reflect on the transformations that the education and care services for young children have experienced over the past 25 years, looking at three main strands:

1. Democratic values and practices in early childhood systems
2. Inclusion, equity and quality: the keys to reaching all children and families
3. A comprehensive approach to early childhood services and systems

Information related to these strands, practical issues about the event and a complete calendar with important dates to remember are available on the conference site: www.issa2014.hu ISSA is a vibrant network that connects professionals and non-profit organizations working in the field of early childhood development. Established in the Netherlands in 1999, ISSA’s community today stretches across the globe with its more than 50 members primarily located in Europe and Central Asia. Building upon the Step by Step Program initiated by the Open Society Foundations in 1994, ISSA aims to ensure equal access to quality care and education for all young children from birth to 10 years old. This mission is implemented through three main pillars of action: equal access for all children; promoting high-quality and professionalism in early years services and empowering parents and communities to be part of the children’s development and learning. For more information regarding the event, please contact Eva Izsak at eizsak@issa.nl. http://www.issa.nl/sites/default/files/Proposals%20extension_ok.pdf