Sderot’s Community Center hosted an Early Childhood conference on October 12, 2009.  Among the honored guests were Sderot’s mayor, the Director of the Schusterman Foundation-Israel, and 350 professionals from the field of early childhood development.

Regional Early Childhood programs in the Northern Negev are now in their third year of operation, led by the Gvanim Association with the help of the Schusterman Foundation-Israel.  Partners include the municipalities of Sderot and Netivot and the councils of Shaar HaNegev and Sedot Negev.  Regional Early Childhood services were created to improve testing and treatment of developmental delays in young children while promoting enrichment and training of the children, their parents and the professionals who serve them.

The conference entitled  ”My Second Childhood” was dedicated to a discussion of issues and medical symptoms of children’s development from birth to age three and was part of a two-year regional training program for Early Childhood professionals.  The goal of the conference was to enrich the knowledge and work of professionals working in the less populated areas of Israel.

Ms. Rivka Grabovsky, director of a childcare center, spoke with emotion about the significance of the conference.  “I’m very excited.  Developments like this are common in the center of the country, but not in our area.  We really need events like this one, with lectures and opportunities to learn.  It was an exciting meeting between colleagues and we should be proud. My thanks and congratulations to the organizers.”