Nationwide child development screening delayed by nearly a year
The planned nationwide introduction of early childhood development screening in Latvia will be postponed by almost a year, as a pilot project in five municipalities will precede it.
The nationwide implementation of early childhood development screening will be delayed by nearly a year, as the system will first be tested in a pilot project across five municipalities. The pilot is set to begin in October this year and will run until March next year. Following the pilot, results will be evaluated in spring, with a report and recommendations submitted to the Saeima by April 30.
State Chancellery representatives explained that in the municipalities where the pilot takes place, work will continue after its conclusion to avoid a gap before the system is rolled out nationwide. Meanwhile, efforts are underway to establish multi-professional child development teams, which will support children identified as having elevated developmental risks.
Currently, work is progressing on methodology, regulatory framework, and identifying specialists, as well as adapting premises in the pilot municipalities. The Children's Clinical University Hospital (BKUS) is the key partner, involved in both methodology development and professional oversight of the teams.
