First 1,000 days matter
The Leontinka Foundation (Nadace Leontinka) supports the lives of visually impaired children. In cooperation with the foundation, we assist families across the Czech Republic. Together, we support early care social services provided both to families of premature newborns who require specialized assistance right after birth and to families of children with visual or combined disabilities up to 6 years of age. The aim of the project is to ensure access to early social services during the first 1,000 days of life, as these are crucial for a child’s development. The project provides support in developing visual perception, communication, motor skills, personal independence, speech, and other essential abilities. It also includes lending specialized equipment and providing recommendations, methods, and parental guidance on how to use it effectively. To date, we have supported more than 1,000 families of visually impaired children.
Czech Republic
With the "For Families" program, we support children from birth to 6 years of age and their families across the Czech Republic. We focus on early childhood development because the first six years of life are crucial for brain development and strongly shape a child’s future. We cooperate with partner the Leontinka Foundation.
The program
In cooperation with the Leontinka Foundation, we support families with visually impaired children. Leontinka Foundation currently provides support, guidance, and counselling to more than 1,000 families through early care social services.
In 2024, we launched a new project, "The First 1,000 Matter". Planned as a three-year initiative, it focuses on 900 families with young children with visual impairments in nine regions across the Czech Republic. The project ensures that these families receive professional support when they need it most—at the earliest stages of a child's life, ideally immediately after birth. For this reason, the project includes cooperation with 12 neonatal departments that work with local early care centers to ensure support for both the child and the whole family as early as possible.
Partners involved
Nadace Leontinka
Leontinka Foundation (Nadace Leontinka)
The mission of Nadace Leontinka is to bring light into lives of visually impaired children. In cooperation with Early Care Centers throughout the Czech Republic, Nadace Leontinka helps to ensure comprehensive assistance to families with children with visual and combined disabilities. The staff of these Centers work directly with families with the goal to facilitate the integration of visually impaired children into society. The activities mainly include rehabilitation, visual stimulation and training of skills to compensate for child´s disability. The timely professional assistance significantly improves the situation for both the child and the family.