Consistent with the EU's goals of supporting quality early childhood education and care provision for all, the LISTEN project has contributed to the greater inclusion of parents within the educational and local civil society communities, to support schools by introducing new and more innovative practices aimed at inclusive approaches, and, finally, to invest in teacher/educator training. For this reason, the goals of the project were: 1) To develop a high-quality early childhood education and care model that promotes an intergenerational solidarity approach method and actively involves local communities; 2) To increase the skill development and professionalization of ECEC staff, teachers and educators in the provision of innovative ECEC using an intergenerational solidarity approach for the social inclusion of children with migrant/socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds; 3) To promote solidarity initiatives and innovative learning environments using formal and non formal methodologies to increase dialogue and cooperation among key stakeholders and actors at local, national and community levels.
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the ECEC sector in several ways, including temporary and permanent facility closures, reduced demand for ECEC places and workforce challenges. Also it has impacted preschool children in several ways, including social, emotional and behavioral development and mental health. The negative impacts on children's development and mental health due to changes in access to ECEC have been most pronounced on disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs and disabilities, as well as vulnerable children. In the countries involved in the project, closures of ECEC services have increased national pressures, and service providers have expressed concern about long-term financial sustainability. As stated in the Council Recommendation of 2019 on High-Quality ECEC Systems, children from disadvantaged backgrounds are in high educational need, so their participation in early childhood education and care activities helps to counteract early gaps in future skills. In line with this goal, LISTEN has been working to promote access to ECEC schooling and inclusive opportunities at the local and community level, helping to address the barriers and contributing to the creation of inclusive environments.