New early intervention center opened in Grodno

To provide support to parents and children with disabilities, promote their cognitive, social and emotional development, as well as prevent developmental disorders, the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus, with the support of the United Nations Children’s Fund in Belarus (UNICEF), develops an early intervention system and creates Early Intervention Centers.

In January 2024, a new Early Intervention Center «Rostok» was opened in Grodno on the basis of the State Health Institution «City Clinic № 8». A special feature of the functioning of this Center is the provision of comprehensive assistance by various specialists: a pediatric neurologist, a rehabilitation specialist, an exercise therapy instructor, a psychologist, a speech pathologist teacher, and a massage therapist. In addition, in order to develop the service of remote family counseling, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Belarus donated the necessary office equipment to the Early Intervention Centers «Rostok» and «Luchik».

Today there are more than 40 Early Intervention Centers in Belarus, which annually provide assistance to approximately 10,000 children throughout the country (about 40% of those potentially in need). In the Vitebsk and Brest regions, remote work with parents has already been introduced and about 1,000 children across the country received support in 2023.

The operation of the Early Intervention Center «Rostok» will increase the availability of early intervention for children from remote areas of the Grodno region, which will contribute to the achievement by the Republic of Belarus of Sustainable Development Goals 3, 10 and other SDGs.

More detailed information about supporting children can be found at the link.