The program for the development of children's socio-emotional competencies was created within the project ENVISION - Creating a supportive environment for social inclusion of children - phase II, which Save the Children for the Northwest Balkans (SCNWB), based in Sarajevo, implements in partnership with NGOs "Nova Generacija "Banja Luka," Otaharin "Bijeljina, Youth Center" Vermont "Brcko, Association" Altruist "Mostar, Center for Children's Rights Podgorica, and Association" Defendologija "Niksic, as well as centers for social work Banja Luka, Bihac and Niksic.
The development of the program was preceded by an analysis of models and practices, i.e. programs applied in work with children involved in life and/or work on the streets, and children at risk in day care centers in Bosnia and Herzegovina and countries in the region. The analysis also included consideration of the need to establish new programs whose implementation would contribute to improving the quality of services that day care centers have been providing to an extremely sensitive group of children and their families for more than ten years. The analysis showed that there is a need to develop and implement programs that aim to make children more resilient to the various risks, challenges and difficulties they are exposed to during adolescence, by encouraging them to recognize and manage emotions, control their own reactions, resist pressure, develop empathy, engage in pro-social behavior and the like. Social and emotional competence develops during adolescence through social interaction and in relationships with other people, primarily with parents and other close people.
Children involved in life and/or street work most often have a negative interaction or experience rejection from parents and other significant people in their environment. This can lead to aggression and hostility towards others, difficulty in self-acceptance, less pronounced self-esteem and anti-social behavior. That is why it is of key importance that day care centers implement programs for the development of social and emotional competencies for children who, due to unfavorable conditions in their childhood, are most often deprived of it.
The program is designed around three key areas of importance for understanding the process of developing children's socio-emotional competencies. The first is the theoretical foundation of the program, or value framework we stand for. This is essentially promoting a model of positive development in which the child and his well-being are always the priority, and in which learning is a process through which the child changes himself, his understanding of the world, their relationships, and thus, the community in which they live. The second unit presents the most important knowledge on child development, developmental stages and developmental tasks, with an emphasis on the key characteristics of early, middle childhood and adolescence. The third area provides a detailed overview of socio-emotional competencies, defined as the ability to understand, manage and express social and emotional aspects in an individual's life in a way that allows them to successfully manage life tasks such as learning, building relationships, and solving everyday problems. Five groups or clusters are described, which are interrelated and encompass social and emotional competencies. The first refers to self-awareness, the second to self-management, the third to social awareness that encompasses the ability to take the perspective of others and empathize with them. The fourth group refers to the field of social skills, which in their spectrum may include the skills of establishing and maintaining healthy interpersonal relationships. The last group refers to responsible decision-making about their own behavior and social interactions, taking into account ethical guidelines and social norms.
The program is intended for all practitioners, educators, professional associates, teaching staff and other experts who implement various programs with preschool and school-age children in an educational institution, school, day care center, day center or other institution inhabited by children. Based on a common theoretical basis and agreed values that talk about how we see the child and his development, and what our role is in it, the program allows the child to carry out different activities, depending on the specific context in which the program develops and the goals they want to achieve. Children and adults can actively shape the program, give it their own stamp, and thus make it their own —new and original.