RESILIENCE of ECI: lessons of war from Ukraine

Anna Kukuruza

Ukraine has been building the ECI system for two decades now. It’s been a journey from the medical model through family-oriented, center-based practices to family-centered, home-based work performed by a transdisciplinary team.

There had been many steps taken and achievements made to develop ECI before February 24, 2022, when Russia’s large-scale aggression against Ukraine started.

The provision of ECI services was not interrupted after the outbreak of active hostilities that led to mass migration of families and specialists throughout Ukraine and abroad. The experience of the war has shown that all the basic principles of modern Early Intervention ensured its stability and ability to function successfully even in such harsh conditions. The conducted studies showed that these tragic circumstances brought together parents and professionals and created a new context for forging partnerships and mutual support.

The ECI service

1) ensured continuity and offered a broad range of support (emotional, informational and material) to families; helped to maintain social contacts and fostered a sense of stability in a situation of dramatic changes;

2) responded to parents’ expectations regarding the development of their children, even in the circumstances of the war, and helped to avoid regresses in children’s development;

3) helped to maintain and increase the levels of parents’ competence and self-efficacy in a situation characterized by inadequate safety, instability and a change of familiar environment.

The world experience of going through military conflicts shows that the need for ECI will grow. In war and post-war situations, special attention should be paid to infant mental health, which is an important part of work in ECI. Each family needs support to prevent the negative impact of the current traumatic experience affecting both child development and family functioning.