The Jerusalem Municipality has built specialized playgrounds in twenty preschools throughout the city to assist the expansion of The Active Nurturing Playground Program operated in conjunction with Ezer Mizion and Ashalim.

"The Active Nurturing Playground Program is part of the municipality's plan to reduce the dropout rate in educational institutions," said Mayor Uri Lupolianski.

Last year, the municipality and Ezer Mizion implemented the project's first phase in Jerusalem, training teachers to identify developmental difficulties at an early stage and to use playground equipment to minimize these difficulties. With the construction of the new playgrounds, the next phase of the project will begin, and the trained educational staff will work hands-on with approximately 1200 Jerusalem children.

The Active Nurturing Playground Program was begun in response to the lack of proper tools for early identification of children with developmental difficulties, which resulted in their late referral to professional intervention and therapy. The program focuses on children aged 3-5 who show warning signs of developmental difficulties, and attempts to minimize these difficulties using specialized playground equipment.

The Active Nurturing Playground Program has won the support of professionals in the fields of education, health and social services. As a result of the project's success, the Ministry of Education is considering the possibility of including it in the standard training curriculum for early childhood educators.

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