February 23, 2026
News
For three years, Caritas Czech Republic helped strengthen Georgia’s early childhood development and inclusive education systems. We supported the establishment of centres for children with special needs and trained professionals in early childhood development. We also assisted in kindergartens, which helped improve inclusive education in the country.
The care for children with special needs was improved across the whole country
Caritas Czech Republic renovated and fully equipped five centres of early childhood development, which now provide facilities for more than one hundred children with special needs. One of the newly established centres was built in Dusheti Municipality. Caritas collaborated with the Association Anika on its creation. The centre became the first of its kind in the whole region.
Photo: Early Childhood Development Centre in Dusheti
“Building on this experience, state-supported services were subsequently launched, and staff capacity was further strengthened both in Dusheti and at the Tbilisi centre,” says Irina Inasaridze, Founder and Director of Association Anika. She points out that, thanks to our activities, the early childhood development system was improved not only in specific regions but across the whole country. Therefore, we supported even the centres in the capital city of Tbilisi and Rustavi, where hundreds of families with children with special needs need assistance.
Caritas assisted in the training of specialists in early childhood development
Apart from that, Caritas helped train the staff who care for the children. Sixty early-intervention specialists and seventeen supervisors completed practical training. According to a specialist, Lana Gagnidze from Tbilisi, who also participated in Caritas Czech Republic's courses, play is the most interesting and effective method for teaching children with special needs.
One of the specialist’s key goals is to support positive parenting and encourage parents’ involvement in everyday routines,
Lana explains.
Photo: A play is an interesting and effective method of teaching children with special needs
Another trained specialist, Nana Zarandie, claims that early childhood development centres are more beneficial for children than once-a-week therapy. According to Nana, daily care in centres strengthens emotional bonds within the family.
In the centre, the professional does not lead the process alone – the parent becomes the child’s main partner. Working in the child’s natural home environment creates real opportunities for change. Together, we turn everyday routines like eating, dressing, or playing into moments of development,
Nana illustrates.
Photo: Early Childhood Development Centres strenghten bonds between parents and children
In addition to the training, ten specialists from government institutions had the opportunity to visit the Czech Republic and gain knowledge of Czech methods in early childhood development and inclusive education. Last year, Caritas also trained eighteen specialists who can now pass on their experience to new applicants interested in working with children with special needs.
Our focus was not only on immediate results, but on creating conditions for long-term impact. By strengthening coordination, training pathways, and national capacity, the project helped lay a sustainable foundation for early childhood intervention services across Georgia,
Rusudan Chkhubianishvili, Project Manager at Caritas Czech Republic, describes.
Inclusive education in Georgian kindergartens
Caritas also supported the development of pre-schools in Georgia, enabling them to better adapt their environments for children with special needs. Twenty-one kindergartens received special materials for their pupils. Overall, 206 members of staff were trained in inclusive education. Moreover, thirty-five personal assistants joined kindergartens in seven Georgian municipalities.
As a teacher at one of the kindergartens, Ketevan Kapishvili can now better assess each child’s individual needs. Therefore, she can better plan the activities and know that the children will be able to join with others.
Photo: Caritas Czech Republic helped improve inclusive education in Georgian pre-schools
Caritas Czech Republic focuses on healthcare as well
In addition to education, Caritas Czech Republic also focuses on healthcare development. We primarily support cancer prevention. We work to improve the quality and accessibility of screening centres and raise awareness about early detection and prevention. We also concentrate on the treatment of childhood cancer.
Our early childhood development activities in Georgia were supported by CzechAid.
