Child care services

A lifeline for families in rural areas...

In 2010 FARA’s Community Based Care Programme is being developed to extend our education programme for children living in poverty and increase the social inclusion of Roma children.  This programme is based in primary schools in the Suceava county, Northern Romania, where over 80 children prepare their homework under the supervision of FARA’s teachers after attending their normal classes.  The children receive educational support, stationery, a meal, clothing and holiday programmes.  This project is designed to assist the breaking of the cycle of poverty and lack of education in rural areas.  Without FARA’s support, these children would never be able to attend school.

As a further new development to the Community Based Care, we have opened a Community Centre in a building provided by the local mayor.  Here FARA runs a day care centre offering speech therapy, physiotherapy, special needs education and family support for children with complex needs.  A minibus provides transport from their homes in rural areas to the day care centre.  In addition, we have an outreach programme where an educational psychologist and social worker visit up to 30 children in their own homes to provide special needs education.  The objective of this programme is to increase the inclusion of children with complex needs in both the schools and the community.

Owing to the economic situation in Romania, there is a desperate need for FARA to help the poorest families and vulnerable children with disabilities.