Nataliya Kabatsiy, the director of the Medical Aid Committee in Zakarpattia, took part in the meeting of the working group on early intervention services, which was held at the Transcarpathian Regional State Administration.

During the meeting, the experts discussed the state of development and implementation of a range of services to support families with children with disabilities. In particular, they focused on the work of the municipal rehabilitation institution "Regional Center for Comprehensive Rehabilitation for Persons with Disabilities" and the creation of multidisciplinary teams for early intervention services in each district and united territorial community of the region. Currently, in order to increase the availability of early intervention services, the need for 28 multidisciplinary teams of specialists has been identified.

Following the meeting, the working group decided to address the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine with a follow-up letter on the intensification of activities by central executive bodies to develop a regulatory framework for the provision of early intervention services, including the relevant state standard.

Our charitable organization actively participates in the work of specialized councils, which solve the problems of institutional care, the upbringing of children, and the creation of a system for providing early intervention services. During the previous meetings, the Regional Action Plan for reforming the system of institutional care and upbringing of children in the Zakarpattia oblast for 2019-2026 was approved, which was the result of close cooperation between both the executive authorities and NGOs.

We would like to remind that Zakarpattia is one of the few Ukrainian regions where the comprehensive program on the help to families with small children with disabilities and health disorders has been in operation. Next to the Regional Center for Comprehensive Rehabilitation for Persons with Disabilities, there is one more active unit in the region – the Early Intervention Unit within the municipal institution "Social Habilitation and Rehabilitation Centre "Parasolka", which enrolled 28 children and families in 2019.

Despite the existing experience of expanding the range of early intervention services, the issues of training relevant specialists, regulatory and material support of the state remain relevant for the social and humanitarian sphere in Ukraine.