On December 18, the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia adopted the new Act on the Intervention for Children and Youth with Emotional and Conduct Disorders and Problems in Education. It paves the way for establishment of regional professional service centres and supports holistic approach and timely intervention.

"The current regulation was not only outdated, but inconsistent and vague, as well. That is why it took considerable time to develop and design a comprehensive regulation crosscutting several sectors. The new law takes into account the requirements and needs of all stakeholders. In the first place, it favours children and young people with emotional and behavioural struggles," declared the prof. dr. Simona Kustec, the Minister responsible for education, to the National Assembly.

The new law systematically outlines a holistic approach to the needs of children and young people with emotional and conduct problems and disorders. It includes solutions that had proven effective as evidenced by various pilot projects. It addresses the needs of those placed in public institutions for the education of SEN children and young people, as well as those attending mainstream kindergartens and schools. By law, one will set up four regional professional service centres and include them in the network of other public education institutions for SEN children. 

Main principles under the new law:

• Maximum benefit for a child/adolescent
• Providing support as soon as the need arises and using a continuum approach of different measures, including preventive action
• Individualisation
• Allowing children and/or young people to participate in creating education paths, goals and self-development
• Providing safe, stable and predictable environment and adequate living conditions
• Cooperating with families or other relevant adults
• Approaching the needs of a child or adolescent holistically with multidisciplinary team support that includes experts from the professional service centres, public institutions for SEN children, and other institutions in different realms: education, social welfare, health, justice, etc.
• Regionalisation and deinstitutionalization, namely to provide help and support closest to home, and allow reintegration into the society in time.

To achieve this, one will restructure the four of existent public educational institutions for SEN children with emotional and conduct disorders and problems into regional professional service centres to:

• Pursue preventive activities and provide support to students in mainstream kindergartens and schools (also by means of providing mobile teams)
• Support children and adolescents placed under the care of professional service centres and institutions for SEN children, and 
• Continue support after the release from the institutional care. 

Source:  Eurydice Unit Slovenia