Open Society Foundations funding Czech branch of European network focused on Romani preschoolers, deadline in mid-August

A call has been newly announced in the Czech Republic and is being repeated in Romania for nonprofit organizations to join the Romani Early Years Network (REYN) 2017. This is a preschool education initiative that aims to develop the professional knowledge of Romani staffers and others working with Romani communities across Europe in the area of preschool education.

The call intends to increase the number of Romani professionals working in preschool education and to achieve better access for Romani children to quality services. The Roma Initiatives of the Early Childhood Program at the Open Society Foundations is doing its best to improve the lives of Romani children and their parents through direct work with them in their homes and inside communities and by creating favorable contexts across Europe, for example, by working with partners to combat discrimination and support inclusion.

The deadline for applying is 15 August 2017 at 17:00 CET. Applications may be sent after registering with the Open Society Foundations' grant portal through which completed forms can be submitted - those interested can find the link HERE.

Instructions on how to use the grant portal are available HERE. All applications must include all of the information listed in the sample application for a project and in the sample budget and must be submitted in English.

Any queries about the program may be sent to program specialist Katherine Street at katherine.street@opensocietyfoundations.org. The financial support will be provided for a minimum of 12 months and a maximum of 24 months.

National networks that are members of REYN already function in several European countries (Belgium, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine). The international network is based in the city of Leiden in the Netherlands and functions as the leader of a Europe-wide network advocating for children's rights, supporting the early care and development of children, and serving as an information center to support professionals working with young children and their families - you can learn more about REYN at www.reyn.eu.