KOMF has addressed the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation with the request for the inclusion of children with disabilities within the Voucher Program.
KOMF states that it has carefully followed the announcement on the opening of the call for the registration of early childhood education institutions within the Voucher Program, which will be implemented until June 2028 and aims to support families benefiting from the Social Assistance Scheme.
“KOMF welcomes this initiative of the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation as a positive step towards social equality and the inclusion of children from families in need. However, we express concern regarding the lack of inclusion of children with disabilities in this program, who face a multitude of barriers to accessing early childhood education,” the statement reads.
According to KOMF, children with disabilities continue to have a very low level of inclusion in early education institutions, especially in private ones. This situation is further aggravated by: the very high expenses of parents to secure assistants for children with disabilities in early education institutions; the high costs of professional rehabilitative support services for children with disabilities (psychological, social, speech therapy, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, etc.), expenses which overly burden families that are already facing major economic difficulties. Currently, there are families who pay up to 600–700 euros per month, as they must cover the costs for private kindergarten, the payment of an assistant for the child with disabilities, and professional services.
“Based on these facts and on the constitutional and legal obligation of the Republic of Kosovo to guarantee the rights of children with disabilities without discrimination, KOMF requests that children with disabilities also be included in the Voucher Program, regardless of whether their families are beneficiaries of the Social Assistance Scheme or not,” the statement reads.
Furthermore, KOMF states that based on Administrative Instruction No. 03/2022 on the inclusion of children in preschool institutions in Kosovo, Article 4 – Criteria for the registration of children in preschool institutions stipulates that children coming from vulnerable groups, including children with special needs, are exempt from payment.
“Taking into account the individual specifics and the many needs that children with disabilities have, we consider that the cost of vouchers for supporting children with disabilities should be higher, to reflect the increased professional support that is necessary for their effective inclusion in early education,” it is said in KOMF’s call.
Their inclusion in this program would encourage the full inclusion of children with disabilities in early childhood education, ease the financial burden of parents of children with disabilities, as well as fulfill the legal obligations of the Republic of Kosovo in relation to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, incorporated into the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo.
