Kindergarten in hospitals

In partnership with kindergartens and hospitals, six programmes have been established for children at hospitals in Zagreb, Sisak, Zadar and Rijeka for pre-school children who suffer from health issues

For pre-school children who cannot attend pre-school institutions due to their health issues, pre-school education programmes have been established in health institutions, and in partnership with kindergartens and hospitals, six programs have been set up in:

• Zagreb (Children's Hospital Zagreb and University Hospital Centre Zagreb);
• Sisak (General Hospital “Dr. Ivo Pedišić”);
• Zadar (General Hospital Zadar);
• Rijeka (University Hospital Centre Rijeka – Kantrida).

Kindergarten “Bukovac” in cooperation with the University Hospital Centre Zagreb and kindergarten “Izvor” in cooperation with the Children's Hospital Zagreb have established the programmes of pre-school education in Zagreb. Such programmes are implemented by the kindergarten “Sisak Stari” and kindergarten “Sisak Novi” in collaboration with the General Hospital “Dr. Ivo Pedišić” in Sisak.

The General Hospital in Zadar has established a programme of preschool education in cooperation with the kindergarten “Sunce”, and in Rijeka the kindergarten “Rijeka” has a programme of pre-school education in the University Hospital Centre Rijeka, Pediatric Clinic in Kantrida.
 
In the programme of pre-school education for children with special health needs, the following important tasks are accomplished:

• creating a positive socio-emotional environment or educational environment that meets the needs of children in specific hospital conditions;
• encouraging motor and cognitive development and the impact on other areas of development which increase in importance as the child grows up, thus establishing a balance between the child's needs and abilities;
• proper and timely identification and satisfaction of personal needs by supporting the development of self-confidence and self-esteem and strengthening social skills;
• respecting the specifics of age, health status and individual needs of children;
• impact on meeting the child's needs for speech expression, acquisition of new knowledge and creativity;
• enabling family members to attend and actively participate in work with children. 

Educators carry out educational work with children from the age of one until they start school. Except in the kindergarten, the educational work takes place, individually if necessary, alongside patients’ beds in all wards, in the waiting room-playroom of the day care oncology centre, in the oncology ward, in cooperation with the occupational therapist of the ward. All activities take place according to the national curriculum for early and pre-school education, taking into account the health and psychological condition of children. Parents and children can lend books, board games and didactic equipment from the kindergarten premises free of charge. As part of the activities of the kindergarten in the hospital, weaving workshops have been organised for pre-school and school-age children, and children take their works home as souvenirs and proofs of a hospital who takes care of its patients.