Mayors invited to apply for "Fiecare Copil in Gradinita" (Every Child in Preschool) funds

Lack of preschool education increases the risk of early school abandonment, the need for special education, the rate of unemployment and crime.

For the second year in a row, Alex Fund donors have made it possible for OvidiuRo to expand its efforts to get every poor child in Romania in preschool and kindergarten.

In partnership with the Romanian Ministry of Education, OvidiuRo has invited Romanian mayors to apply for grants to help them get all children in their community, age 3-6, into early education programs. OvidiuRo plans to add 3-5 new communities for the 2011 school year.

Impoverished parents receive $15 a month in food coupons if their children have perfect attendance. Last year 1,300 children in the 19 communities in the OvidiuRo program qualified for the aid.  The attendance rate almost doubled over the previous year and increased every month, rising to 84% in March. In all participating communities, attendance over this period was the highest in the last three years – and many local coordinators noted that it was by far the highest attendance rate EVER in their communities.

Press Release go to >