Family education as a support to families where children are with special needs is mentioned in family politics statements. Unfortunately, family education problems in rural areas characterise present day situation in Latvia. Professionals with less specific knowledge essential to deal with special needs satisfaction is a reality in rural areas in Latvia. It is vital to advance family autonomy, develop an opportunity to deal with consequences that disabilities cause and, improve environmental conditions for children with special needs. The aim of this article is to fortify necessity of family education as a partnership comprehension development to children with special needs in rural area. The investigation was carried out in National Rehabilitation centre ”Vaivari” in April 2012, by involving families with children with special needs. Analysis of scientific resources has been done; survey and statistical analysis of data were carried out, by using non-parametric method - Mann Whitney U test. During the research, the main family education comprehension aspects to families living in rural or city area and having children with special needs are identified. The advantages in special needs satisfaction context in rural areas and city environment are analysed. Measurements of respondent attitude to innovative family education e-solutions are made. Objectively and subjectively determined social isolation risk of families having children with special needs in rural area show the necessity to use family resources related to consequences that disabilities create. It is necessary to develop ways to use modern technological opportunities, provide appropriate family education and partnership with professionals.

Marvejols is a small town located in Lozère (France). Traditionally, the region was poor with an agricultural oriented economy. However, by the 1960s a new type of business was launched: the residential care facilities for disabled people, especially in relation to Jacques Blanc, a key person in the organization and development of this business. This economic activity brought jobs and new attractiveness, counterbalancing decline in traditional sectors. Nevertheless, currently, situation is less favourable, and the local players try to find out a new strategy, particularly in relation to diversification. In this study, our main aim was to understand conditions of starting and growing of this business. Moreover, we would like to understand current fragilities and attempts to adapt the economy of the territory. In this way, our students and we have chosen this area in relation to the economic and historical weight of its activity. The organization of field trips and survey was conducted in a comprehensive approach perspective. Therefore, we took account parameters working in this territory, such as strategies, psychologies (individual and collective), networks and identities. Human dimensions are strong, especially in discourses, and our main result is a better understanding of the local situation, with comparisons to close cases (Corrèze, Creuse). Furthermore, the quality of the geographical analysis provides working relations with the stakeholders.

In August 2021, we carried out a study of the needs of socially isolated people in the Preiļi and Līvāni districts of Latvia. The aim was to identify the real situation of social exclusion in rural areas of Latvia in order to provide a more complete picture of the needs of socially excluded groups and thus contribute to regional development policy, especially from the perspective of social inclusion. The qualitative research approach was chosen to acquire information: interviews with representatives of socially excluded groups and semi-structured interviews with professionals working with different categories of socially excluded people. Social exclusion is a sensitive topic for those who are socially disadvantaged, so the basic principles of research ethics were strictly observed: personal autonomy, non-harm, confidentiality and fairness. The study found that the most pronounced form of social isolation is exclusion from the labour market. People who are unemployed, are trapped in a ‘poverty cycle’ from which they cannot escape without the help of social institutions. The information obtained does not confirm the long-standing assumption that long-term unemployed are mere ‘consumers of the system’, nor does it confirm the assumption that socially isolated people have high expectations of a high salary. Sometimes existing attempts to improve the situation of socially isolated people are not in line with their real needs, thus failing to achieve the intended goal. In general, the specificity of the region is such that there are no mass one-size-fits-all solutions, but each situation and problem has to be tailored individually.