Early Childhood Programs

Aiming to support the development of young children (birth-6), Rashi and its affiliates are involved in operating early childhood programs in Israel’s northern and southern periphery. The goal is to create a system of accessible, integrated and professional services in communities where solutions are insufficient while risk factors are more widespread.

The foundation for developing community services for children and their parents is the early childhood center, a multi-disciplinary facility that coordinates and advances municipal activities for children, parents and professionals. These centers bring together a wide range of services and programs to create a therapeutic-education continuum (a one-stop center).

The early childhood center’s activities include:

• Detection, prevention and enrichment – interdisciplinary system for identifying and advancing at-risk populations;
• Diagnosis and treatment of developmental difficulties, including speech therapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, art therapy, etc.
• Parents and children group activities that encourage the children’s natural curiosity and strengthen parent-child relationships
• Workshops and support for parents, including in-home counseling for families at risk
• Professional training of the teams in early childhood settings
• Daycare center for children aged 3 months to 3 years (in some of the centers)

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Community-based child development services in the periphery are another field in which we invest. Child development units, operating within early childhood centers or separately, provide an essential service of early detection and treatment to close development gaps. The National Forum of Child Development, supported by Rashi, works to advance policy that will ensure the service’s sustainability, accessibility and quality.

Partners

Government | Local Authorities | Philanthropy

Operating body

Yahdav Association | Northern Goals Association