Inclusive Support for Children: “SAFE” Development Centre in Kajaran
Published: Jun 20, 2025 Reading time: 4 minutes Share: Share an articleIn Armenia, we established a new integrated child development centre in Kajaran, Syunik, providing various socio-psychological and professional services.
Improving access to social services in the Syunik region remains one of our top priorities. We work closely with local civil society, the Syunik Regional Administration, local municipalities, the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, and the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure. Together, we contribute to developing and implementing sustainable, community-based models of social service provision.
Since 2023, within the EU-funded project “Partnerships for Syunik – Enhanced Community-Based Social Services”, we have been working with over ten local civil society organisations and all seven municipalities of the Syunik region. The initiative supports establishing, improving and sustaining local social services. As a result of these efforts, more than 1,000 people in Syunik have already benefited from various social services.
A New Social Service in Kajaran
One of about 20 initiatives under the project, Inclusive Armenia – an educational and socio-legal NGO – has established the “Safe” Child Development Centre in Dzagikavan, Kajaran. The centre is designed for children aged 1.5 to 18, including those with developmental needs.
The centre’s team includes a psychologist, pedagogue, speech therapist, and social worker. They provide free socio-psychological, behavioural, emotional, and speech therapy support. The centre also organises parenting sessions, helping to build a more resilient and supportive environment for children in the community.
About Brave and Bright Hayk
Hayk, not yet three years old, was born with a cleft palate and lip. His mother, Armine, learned of his condition during the seventh month of pregnancy, but never hesitated for a moment—she was determined to bring her third child into the world.
Since the age of six months, Hayk has undergone several surgeries. Armine says, “Hayk is strong—and so am I. Now that the results are more visible, it has become easier for me. At first, it was challenging because there was no clear progress.”
Upon learning about the newly established centre in the Kajaran expanded community, Armine was delighted and began regularly travelling from Lernadzor to attend sessions with her son. At the centre, Hayk receives individual support from the psychologist and the speech therapist. Although they occasionally miss sessions due to surgeries, Armine says that even a few visits have led to noticeable changes: Hayk is calmer and communicates more easily day by day.
Community-Level Impact
Parents in the community highly value this service. In the past, they had to travel from Kajaran to Kapan to access the necessary support for their children. The centre even has an extended weekend schedule to avoid interfering with school hours.
“Before launching the centre, we carried out a needs assessment in the community and identified high demand for this type of service in Kajaran,” says Suzanna Petrosyan, President of Inclusive Armenia. “Thanks to the People in Need’s Partnerships for Syunik – Enhanced Community-Based Social Services project, we were able to establish this needs-based service in the community. This was made possible with the support of Kajaran Municipality.”
“To ensure long-term sustainability, we are undergoing the state accreditation process within the same project framework. This will eventually allow us to become a recognised government partner and a provider of state social services,” exclaims Suzanna.
Inclusive Armenia is also fundraising to attract additional resources and make the services more accessible to a broader group. Early diagnosis and intervention—especially before age three—can significantly support a child’s development and future inclusion in educational and social life.
The Partnerships for Syunik – Enhanced Community-Based Social Services project is implemented by People in Need within the framework of the European Union’s Resilient Syunik – Team Europe Initiative, in partnership with the WINNET Goris Development Foundation and Armenian Caritas.
The Resilient Syunik Team Europe initiative is the joint undertaking of the European Union, the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and EU Member states Austria, Czechia, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland and Sweden, with Switzerland also joining as an external partner. The main objective of this initiative is to contribute to the sustainable socioeconomic and institutional development of the Syunik region in line with local development priorities. The initiative has an approximate five-year budget of €150 million, which may further increase.
