Supporting Parents in Central and Eastern Europe

Parent groups in the region are an important means of support. For the parent of a child with multiple impairments, a life priority is ensuring that their child receives the necessary educational opportunities to develop to their greatest potential. More than half of Perkins' programs in Central and Eastern Europe involve support for a parent organization. These are based in Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine. 

A toddler gives the “thumbs up” to school! Armenia

• Parent organizations are advocating for improved services and increased numbers of teachers for their children.  Many groups also provide direct services such as:
• The Association for Deafblind in Slovakia completed a communal home for deafblind youth. 
• Parilti, the Parents Association of Visually Impaired Children in Turkey, coordinates home visits and center-based services for preschool and school-aged children.
• In Estonia, the Union of Deafblind coordinates national early intervention services and family weekends. 

Parent organizations are also strong and natural advocates for improved education policies for children with disabilities. In fact, Perkins annually collaborates with in the Czech Association for the Deafblind on a national conference to increase governmental awareness on the needs of children with multiple disabilities.

Learn more about our other programs in Central and Eastern Europe