06/04/2017 - The Romani Early Years: Status Quo 2017 meeting is a joint event hosted by the Romani Early Years Network, the Forum for Roma Inclusion and the European Public Health Alliance. The meeting will bring together Brussels-based civil society organizations, foundations and representatives of the European Commission to discuss steps toward increased access to quality early childhood education and care for Romani children. The event, held April 10, 2017 in Brussels, will summarize the current challenges Romani children and families face and address the effective implementation of the policies aimed to lessen these challenges. Event hosts have identified several key issues with the National Roma Integration Strategies (NRIS). The first of these issues is that the strategies focus on kindergarten and preschool education, which narrows the target age group and ignores informal settings for children (playgrounds, libraries etc.). Further, the assessment of the NRIS found that some areas that impact early childhood development, such as housing rights for parents or employment, have been overlooked. Health services, like vaccinations and preventative care for marginalized Roma communities are also lacking in the strategies. Lastly, funding for grassroots programs must be systemic and there should be stronger involvement from governments in order to promote sustainable solutions. Participants at the roundtable will discuss these gaps and the need for continuing approaches for Roma inclusion past 2020. For inquiries about attending or for more information please contact Stanislav Daniel, Program Manager and REYN Coordinator, via the email address sdaniel@issa.nl. For more information on our co-hosts please follow the links to their websites below. European Public Health Alliance The European Foundation Centre’s Forum for Roma Inclusion