ChildIN wraps up its pilot training sessions in France with an onsite event in Nevers
Category : News
On September 19 2020, fifteen childminders from the French Department of La Nièvre (in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté), participated at the ChildIN end-of-training certificate ceremony organised by the Departamental Council. 20 out of the 1,100 childminders of the Department have been trained on supporting inclusion of children with autism spectrum disorder thanks to the Erasmus+ project ChildIN.
On June 2020, ChildIN run its pilot training sessions in France order to acquire and improve chidminders’ skills to positively and effectively deal with children on the autism spectrum disorder and their families. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, the 35 hours training was fully delivered online, disregarding the 25 hours of face-to-face sessions that were planned initially.
Established in 2018, the ChildIN project aims at providing specific blended training for childminders for children with special needs, by focusing on autism. The reason for this choice is related directly with the need expressed by the communities to which the partners of the consortium belong, and to a general need of Europe related to the increased diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder in children.
„As there was no reference training on how to deal with autistic children in the field of childminding, we decided to create one”, said Fanny Da Silva, ChildIN partner from La Nièvre. “The number of people on the autism spectrum is constantly growing in France and it will soon explode,” says Alain Lassus, president of the Departmental Council and former doctor. „In 2018, it was one child out of 89, today it is one out of 86”, added Da Silva.
“We wanted to create a common base between the different countries involved in the project in order to have a European unity on the issue of dealing with autistic children”, reported Da Silva. Lassus said he is “proud to be able to create a local training course that will have a national and European scope.”
Trained childminder Martine Durand confessed at the awarding of her diploma that she “appreciates being able to benefit from this kind of training. Before, we often work with these different children, it’s good to know how to manage them.” Géraldine Brassier, also childminder and mother of two children on the autism spectrum, admitted to being “penniless”. “I understand how the parents concerned feel, I had a lot of difficulties too. This training will help me in my work and in my life.”
