SS-1-44, Family Strenghtening Programmes as an Effective Tool of Protecting Children from Violence
Embrace - Help for Children in Crisis
(Žilina region)
Grant:€ 69,158.88
"EMBRACE - Help for Children in Crisis" is an NGO founded in 1997 with the aim of helping abused and neglected children and victims of domestic violence. The organisation runs the Child Crisis Centre EMBRACE for children with CAN syndrome and 2 counselling centres for victims of domestic violence.
Project "Family strenghtening programmes…" is a pilot project of Child Crisis Centre Embrace aimed at development of terrain and ambulant social services for children endangered by CAN syndrome (Child Abuse and Neglect) and families at risk. The goal of the projet is to enhance protection of children endangered by violence in families, to achieve their early identification and to work with families at risk to prevent family break-up and child institutional care.
Their experience shows, that system in Slovakia does not protect children endangered by CAN sy. enough, partially due to low investigation of CPS. Children receive help as teenagers or adolescents when the problem has been perpetuating. As a result, clients show serious emotional and conduct problems as well as sociopathological phenomena. Moreover, family relationships have been seriously disturbed and the effectiveness of help provided as well as perspective of work with family and return of the child to the original family decreases.
The project aims to cover the lacking social services supporting families at risk. They would like to establish a specialized team consisting of 2 social workers and 2 psychologists. They will help the child and the family in 3 levels that are identical with the main activities of the project: 1) investigation and identification of endangered children; 2) professional counselling (including diagnostics, psychological and social care); 3) terrain social work utilizing principles of case management.
They expect the project will enhance quality of life in target groups, will contribute to prevention of violence on children and eliminate the negative effects of violence on victims. Moreover, they anticipate resolution of crisis situation in families and maintenance of family functioning.
Project goal: To develop ambulant and terrain social services in Crisis Centre Embrace in order to identify the endangered children early, to provide professional help to their families and prevent family break-up.
Main outcomes of the project:
- 7 social services provided
-2 new working positions
- Early identification of 40 children endangered with CAN syndrome and domestic violence
- Enhancement of quality of life in groups at risk - beneficiaries of provided social services– 60 child clients of Child Crisis Centre (children with CAN, victims of violence) and 90 families in crisis / members of family (except children in Crisis Centre)
- Supporting deinstitutionalisation – 60 % return of children from Child Crisis Centre to their biological families or substitute families
-50 proffesionals involved in case conferences
Web-page: www.naruc.sk
project web-page: http://naruc.sk/projekty/ehp/
