With emotion and scientific precision, the Minister of Social Cohesion and Family, Domna Michaelidou, presented the new national Early Intervention program, worth 35 million euros, during the ELEPAP event held on Wednesday, June 4 at the Pallas Theater.
The program, funded by the Recovery and Resilience Fund, aims to offer personalized early intervention services to 2,500 children aged 0 to 6 who present or are at increased risk of developing developmental disorders, including autism, intellectual disability, genetic syndromes and motor difficulties.
Innovation: empowering child and family together
The Minister made it clear that the heart of the program is not simply the provision of therapeutic services, but the active empowerment of the entire family:
“Parents don’t just watch. They participate. They participate in the process, integrating the intervention into the child’s daily life. We are creating a new model of collaboration – child, therapist and parents, all on the same path together.”
The program adopts a family-centered approach, with an emphasis on provider training, ongoing family support, and scientifically documented intervention methodology that combines dignity and effectiveness.
Financial aid – but also human support
Ms. Michaelidou announced that each family will receive a voucher of up to 800 euros per month, so that they can choose from accredited early intervention service providers, covering both insured and uninsured children.
“Early intervention is not a privilege. It is a scientific necessity. And it is our responsibility to make it accessible to every child, regardless of place or social circumstances.”
A policy that builds bridges of inclusion
In a speech full of empathy, Domna Michaelidou emphasized the deeper philosophy of the program:
“Early intervention is not a social benefit. It is a foundation. A basis for a fair, inclusive, closer to human society.”
In simple but meaningful words, he demonstrated how public policy can serve real social change – not as a wish list, but as a daily act of support, hope, and scientific knowledge.
“When you see a child reach out with a smile where there was silence before… that’s not a miracle. It’s science, coordinated work, and human dedication at the right time.”
For a Greece that accommodates all its children
The Early Intervention program is an important step towards universal access and social inclusion. It is a political act that does not exclude, but includes. An initiative that combines social sensitivity with institutional effectiveness.
Today, more than ever, we need leadership that is not afraid to look the needs of the most vulnerable in the face and build substantive policies on them. And Domna Michaelidou seems to be leading such a course.
