The project “With Mama” was officially launched on November 11, 2009. The project is designed to prevent placement of children in orphanages. It is developed by “Development- Rakitovo” in cooperation with “Future foundation”, Rakitovo and is financed by the NGO fund - Bulgaria 2008-2010. The total budget of the project ( in euro) is 14 319.93
The main project objective is to prevent the placement of children from the municipality in orphanages, to offer help and support, consultations with families at risk. Some of the project activities are to provide training courses for at-risk mothers, prevention of early pregnancy and to reduce placement of children in orphanages by underage parents.
The target group comprises unmarried pregnant women, unemployed pregnant women, single mothers with children up to 3 years old.
Project duration: 14 months ( 09.11.2009-31.12.2010 )
Main activities:
- Identification of at-risk groups – pregnant women, mothers with children up to 3 years old at risk of being placed in an orphanage.
- We help pregnant women and mothers with children up to 3 years old who are at risk:
>> consultation and emotional support;
>> material support;
>> courses for parental skills training
>> practical support and care of new-born children
>> advocacy of at-risk groups in social institutions responsible for these groups.
- Advertising the project in the local media- (newspapers- “Zname”, “Tempo” and local radio broadcasting), development of a Web site describing project objectives, activities and results.
- Production and distribution of posters, placed in the vicinity of the city-hall, child welfare institutions, women’s consultation in order to create awareness to women at risk and the general population.
- Charity campaign in order to get additional funding. Child volunteers aged 12-18 took part in the campaign helping with distribution.
- Registration of at-risk mothers after reports submitted by GPs, neighbors, the specialist of women’s consultations or by the consultant in the Roma neighborhood .
- Consultation with at-risk mothers with the goal of reversing their decision to place their children in an orphanage, the family is assessed and a decision is made on what action to undertake.
- Development of training courses for parenting skills - they learn how to feed the child, how to wash the child; how and when to attend women’s consultations and how to be good and responsible parents. They receive certificates for taking a parental skills course. Financial support is given only to those who have certificates.
- Support and going with the mother to the maternity ward. Being with her when she leaves the hospital. Providing her with a package for the newborn, consumables and going home with her and the baby. Spending the one-time financial aid on the child.
- The social worker who works with the project visits the mother every week and helps her with the child. He /she prepares a report on the visit and adds it to the mother’s file.
- Each case is observed for six months. In the event of a problem, precautionary steps are taken. In some cases the child is given to a foster family.
- Development of training courses for young people in “Kliment Ohridski” school, Rakitovo; “Hristo Smirnenski” school, Kostandovo, “Hristo Botev”school, Dorkovo. The lectures are on the following themes: “Prevention of an unwanted Pregnancy”, “Consequences of children living in orphanages” . Young people fill in a survey and analysis is made for the training course
- Partnership with child welfare institutions and with a woman who does the consultations for pregnant women.
- Registered 35 at-risk families who participated in the project; support provided to 30 families.
- Working on and introducing new standards for working with at-risk families in order to decrease the likelihood that these families will put their children in an orphanage (with the use of surveys and files for everyone)
- Reversed 30 families’ decision to put their children in an orphanage.
- 10 mothers took a parental skills course
- Material support was given to 11 families with children to help enhance the security of the children and the children were not placed in orphanages.
- Provided support for the children, not just disbursement.
- Raised 700 € and collected clothing and other consumables for children, worth 500 euro
- Examining the problems and making the activities of the project known throughout the community and getting public support.
- 100 people participated in training and acquired the necessary knowledge.
Contact information
“Development- Rakitovo”
22 Todor Tuparov Str., Rakitovo 4640, Bulgaria
Cell Phone: ++359 899 915 569
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