As many as 5,000 children in Moldova now have access to early childhood education after 639 kindergartens and community centers were repaired and outfitted within the Education for All –Fast Track Initiative Project, the head of the Secretariat of the Fast Track Initiative Catalytic Fund Bob Prouty said Tuesday after visiting the rehabilitation center for small children in Straseni and the community center for Romani children in Vulcanesti, Info-Prim Neo reports. “Moldova is the only country that uses the money of the Fast Track Initiative, which is aimed exclusively at the development of children of an early age. That’s why we wanted to know how the money is used within the project. I established that an increasing number of children of preschool age from vulnerable families attend modern kindergartens and receive education of a high quality,” said Bob Prouty. Minister of Education Leonid Bujor said this partnership has been implemented in Moldova for many years. “We asked that the project be extended. We think we have proven that the money is used to carry out measures aimed at supporting the early childhood education of children. We laid and continue to lay emphasis on children from socially underprivileged families,” the minister stressed. The rehabilitation center for small children in Straseni, which is attended by 15 children, and the community center for Romani children in Vulcanesti, with 50 children, form part of the 36 community centers opened with financial support from the Fast Track Initiative Catalytic Fund. Within the project, 65 kindergartens have been renovated, 510 kindergartens have been outfitted with furniture and teaching aids, while 53 kindergartens have been equipped with playgrounds. “The number of children who started to go to kindergarten after the project was launched rose by 10%, but there are 250 communities in Moldova that do not have kindergartens yet,” said Bob Prouty. Since 2006, Moldova has received US$8.8 million as part of the Education for All –Fast Track Initiative Project.