Equity

Focus Areas

The Early Childhood Program implements specific initiatives designed to alleviate social disadvantage and improve opportunities for target populations that are central to the Open Society Institute’s mission, including young children with disabilities, children living in poverty with no access to early childhood development services, and children from marginalized groups such as Roma. This work involves complex challenges that must be addressed through sustained partnerships among governments, donors, and civil society.

The program’s work on reducing the equity gap largely focuses on Central Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States. OSI London- and Kyrgyz-based early childhood staff manage a multiyear disability initiative, including national projects and wider advocacy to heighten awareness of the critical role of early childhood in implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. London and Kyrgyz-based staff also implement initiatives to increase early childhood services in Central Asia, and to improve home learning environments for Roma children.