Page 11 - aruba-today-20221114

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local Monday 14 noveMber 2022

Department of Children and Youth

arriving to final stages of early

intervention pilot project

ORANJESTAD – After con-
tinuing work on precon-
ditions and completing
preparations, expert of the
University of Missouri-Kan-
sas City Institute for Human
Development (UMKC-IHD),
Dr. Kelly Hantak is return-
ing to Aruba and together
with project leader for the
Department of Children
and Youth of Aruba (DMH),
Anouk Eman, finalizing the
first phase of the pilot proj-
ect.

The goal of this project is the project arrived to an the results of the assess-
to create the Early Inter- Early Intervention system, ments. Eman together
vention system for children which will begin with a pre- with Dr. Kelly profession-
with special needs in care execution trajectory in the ally evaluated at total of
centers in Aruba. After 18 care centers for children in 12 children, using DAYC-2
months meeting with pro- Aruba in 2023. assessment tool. This is a well as PITA. The results are These numbers are cause
fessionals from different very popular evaluation worrying, particularly in the for concern, seeing that this
sectors, who are also part Dr. Kelly and Anouk Eman tool used by American area of communication. regards only 8 care centers
of Early Intervention Plat- are delivering the second professionals, precisely for The final goal before De- for children in Aruba, cur-
form Aruba (PITA), and in offcial report at the end children ages 0-5 and 11 cember is to evaluate 30 rently taking part in the pi-
collaboration with them of December 2022 with all months, who have a pos- children, a more represen- lot project. This is the reason
and the Aruban ministry of investigations done in the sible delay in the follow- tative quantity. why in 2023 the idea is for
Social Affairs and Justice, past 18 months, as well as ing domains: cognitive, all 120 care centers for chil-
communication, socio- A high percentage of the dren that registered volun-
emotional development, 12 children visited a logo- tarily, to begin with the first
physical development and pedist. This is a cost for the phase of detecting if there
adaptive behavior. parents of about Afl. 130 are any concerns regard-
for a one-hour session. The ing development. The role
Seeing that up until the parents indicated that the of PITA together with DMG
28th of November, only 12 children need to attend is to work together and
children will be evaluated, four sessions each month structurally in order to try to
the result cannot still be in order to see the neces- give as much support, help
generalized, but the results sary development, and this and guidance as possible,
were presented regardless amounts to about Afl. 520 to the children, as well as
to minister of Social Affairs per month per child. the parents and care cen-
and Justice, Rocco Tjon, as ters for children.q