Models of Pedagogical Support for Early and Preschool-Aged Children Affected by Emergencies: Global Perspectives and Adaptation for Ukraine

Abstract

Modern emergencies, including armed conflicts and natural disasters, significantly affect the psycho-emotional state and development of young children. Therefore, analysing the primary support mechanisms for children affected by emergencies is a pressing task. This study focuses on children from birth to three years (infants and toddlers) and preschool-aged children (3–6 years) who are particularly vulnerable in such crises. Given their developmental needs, it is crucial to ensure adequate pedagogical support – defined here as structured educational and developmental interventions. The study aims to identify key aspects of pedagogical support for young and preschool-aged children affected by emergencies, with a particular focus on war-related crises. The study was conducted as a cross-sectional investigation, where data were simultaneously collected from different types of respondents. The data were processed from two groups of participants: educators (40 individuals) and international experts (10 individuals). Participants were drawn from multiple countries: Israel, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Hungary, and Poland, with direct experience in emergency response and child support. The results indicate that globally recognised methods of pedagogical support for children include using models such as play therapy, art therapy, family support, and social-emotional learning. The study also identified the main challenges, including the psycho-emotional state of affected children, the lack of necessary training for pedagogical teams, and the insufficient availability of material resources. Both educators and the surveyed experts equally recognised these findings. The conclusions state that the priority vector for integrating international experience lies in the optimisation of teacher training, integration with foreign socio-psychological support programmes, and the active participation of government structures.