Pilicy change: Government relations

Advancing Early Childhood Health and Development Policy

Out of 200,000 children born in Israel every year, an estimated 10%-25% will need emotional or developmental assistance in early childhood. Data indicates an increase in this number in the aftermath of the war, whether due to direct trauma or to distress in the children’s home environment.

Early childhood is a critical window for development and for addressing developmental difficulties effectively. However, child development services in Israel are becoming increasingly unequal, with a growing reliance on private healthcare that deepens the gaps between the center and the periphery.

Despite the mounting needs, the system of child development services has serious structural failures: weakening of well-baby clinic and municipal facilities; shortage of professionals (including emotional therapists, speech therapists, physiotherapists, and occupational therapists); and poor coordination between the health, welfare, and education systems.

Without systemic reform, many children — particularly in peripheral regions and underserved communities — will not receive the timely support they need.

What We Propose
The Rashi Foundation is leading a policy reform initiative aiming to design a new professional and financial model for child development and health services, based on the following principles:

− Holistic view of the child within his or her family and community
− Continuum of services, from prevention and early detection to treatment
− Key role for local authorities in delivering services to children and parents
− Close coordination among the health, welfare, and education systems
− Funding mechanism that is both stable and adjustable

We are working to build an integrated municipal model in collaboration with government ministries, local authorities and professionals, while recruiting key actors within the public and political ecosystem to reach agreements.

The translation of the model into formal policy will take place through legislation and formation of regulations, standards, and operating procedures as needed. We will also develop mechanisms for pooling and allocating budgets to ensure the model’s financial sustainability.

The work plan includes establishing a steering committee, conducting national and municipal mapping, developing the model with an economic research body, and drafting a practical implementation plan.

Why Now?
The urgent needs arising from the consequences of the war, combined with a growing recognition that deep structural change is required, create an opportunity for reform.

In partnership with the Federation of Local Authorities, Ministry of Health professionals, peer networks, and philanthropic partners, we aim to lead policy change that will strengthen public systems and ensure that every child in Israel has an equal opportunity for optimal development.

Partners

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