Early Intervention Conference in Odesa
On April 23, 2025, a conference on early intervention was held in Odesa. The event brought together city officials, healthcare providers, psychologists, and parents of children receiving early intervention services.
The conference was opened by Odesa's Mayor, Hennadiy Trukhanov, who noted that the city is developing a comprehensive system to support children with developmental disorders and their families.
“Early intervention is about partnering with families. Specialists provide support during challenging times and help organize daily activities. The main goal is for every child to be happy, develop, and have all the conditions for self-actualization. This is a crucial part of the city government’s efforts to create a barrier-free environment in Odesa,” emphasized Hennadiy Trukhanov.
Early intervention is a comprehensive service provided to families raising children with developmental disorders or at risk of such disorders at an early age.
This service allows for the timely detection of potential developmental issues and creates conditions for their correction and adaptation to community life.
Odesa was among the leaders among cities that joined the pilot project of the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine, “Creating a System of Early Intervention Services to Ensure Child Development, Health, and Life.” Currently, early intervention services are included in the City Target Program “Barrier-Free Odesa.”
The Department of Health of the Odesa City Council has introduced developmental screenings for children under three years old in all city children's clinics and the Children's Consultative and Diagnostic Center named after Acad. B.Ya. Reznik.
During 2024, screenings were conducted for 10,396 children, which allowed the identification of developmental issues in 1,279 children, of whom 512 were referred for early intervention services.
Early intervention centers operate in four children's medical institutions. In 2024, 197 families were under the supervision of early intervention specialists, and all children showed positive developmental trends.
Last year, multidisciplinary teams from early intervention centers conducted 1,713 interactions with families, including 349 home visits, 705 online meetings, and 659 outpatient visits.
Given the growing demand for services, further development of the network of early intervention centers is planned for 2025 to assist 350 families.
For the first time in 2025, the City Target Program “Barrier-Free Odesa” will provide salaries for early intervention team members.
The program also includes educational initiatives for interdisciplinary team members, parents, medical and social workers, as well as awareness-raising activities about the accessibility of early intervention services in Odesa.
