UNHCR reports that as of April 2020, there are 656,213 registered Syrian refugees living in Jordan. According to UNHCR, 96% of vulnerable non-camp-based Syrian refugees alone are living below the Jordanian poverty line and need social assistance and protection. Cuts in humanitarian assistance started in late 2018, coupled with the requirement to possess a valid Ministry of Interior (MoI) card to access any type of assistance have considerably reduced refugees‘ ability to access health, food, shelter, education, and legal documentation.

A rise in child labour and child begging, observed by CARE on the field, has led to increased protection concerns for boys. In order to reduce the economic burden of feeding a child, early marriage of young girls is also on the rise, moreover, child marriage is detrimental to the social, health, psychological and economic conditions of girls and denies them the right to enjoy a healthy life and leads to higher rates of violence. Family Reconciliation Homes of the Ministry of Social Development reported that 60% of female victims of violence are victims of forced and child marriage.

Of the 235,616 school-age Syrian children registered with UNHCR at the end of 2018, only 57% were enrolled in formal education and 7% in informal education, meaning 36% of all school-age Syrian refugee children in Jordan were not enrolled in either formal or informal education. In Jordan, under 25% of Syrian refugee youth are enrolled in secondary education.

Based on CARE’s Needs Assessment 2019, 98% of respondents reported urgent demand for cash assistance, followed by over 60% who reported the need for education-specific cash assistance. Syrian families resort to borrowing money, and to utilizing negative coping mechanisms, as removing children from school (2.6%) or child labor (1.6%). Jordanians report resorting to said coping mechanisms at a higher percentage (child labor 10.3%, removing children from school 7.7%. At the time, 52% of families reported their children, under 18, do not attend school. 11% are employed, predominantly boys (85%), 35% still go to school and 16% have married children 15 years of age, on average, primarily due to the existing cultural norms and financial pressures.

Expected Results

ER1: Increased access to quality formal education, safety and enhanced child protection, via identification, follow-up, the provision of CCA EiE, and engagement of CCEB, and raising the awareness of caregivers on CP and Education.

ER2: CWDs demonstrate increased engagement within the formal education system through enabling the education environment, and enhancing shadow teachers‘ capacities.

Main Activities

• Re-assessment of CCA EiE beneficiaries to identify and select children continuing in the program.
• Home visits/follow up with parents of vulnerable refugee children receiving conditional cash and with schools attended by CCA beneficiaries.
• Provide conditional cash to families with school-age working children to replace the child’s income and return him/her to school.
• Implementation and follow-up of activities of (CCEB) committees and their initiatives.
• Raising awareness of caregivers on the importance of education and child protection.
• Conduct Advanced Inclusive Education Techniques for Shadow Teachers.
• Train Shadow Teachers on Inclusive Education Techniques.
• MC Field Officers conduct regular follow up sessions with Shadow Teachers.
• Shadow Teachers provide active, personalized support to CWDs to ensure retention.
• Assessment of CWDs for accommodative equipment and/or rehabilitation sessions.
• Provide CWDs with cash for transportation to access formal education.
• CWDs receive rehabilitation sessions from therapists.
• CWDs receive accommodative equipment.
• Host peer support meetings for primary caregivers of CWDs to provide additional information and support materials for their children.
• Shadow Teachers participate in awareness raising sessions inside their schools to parents and local community.