Street Children of Romania - how we help homeless children



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Street Children in Romania

Romania has an estimated 6,000 plus homeless children living on the streets, most having run away from institutions or family abuse. As Romania's notorious institutions are being closed down, the numbers are on the increase.

We fund a safe house for homeless children in a city in NE Romania. In the winter months, many children retreat to the sewers where at least it is warm.

We provide refuge, medical care, food, comfort and education.

Links are made to reunite the children with their families or alternatively to find good foster homes. A successful outcome for each child depends on long term support and counselling to families and foster carers.

Our teams work daily on the streets together with the local Department of Child Protection in an outreach programme. It identifies homeless children very early in their life on the street before they succumb to the inevitable risks of substance abuse and criminality.

We offer food, friendship and support to each street child before they are admitted to our refuge.

We also provide "drop-in" day care facilities for children who do not wish to be admitted so that they still have access to medical care, showers, food and support services.

My front door - the entrance to Bacau sewers

The project also delivers

A back-to-school programme via special literacy classes (where needs be)

An annual summer camp in the country or by the sea

Weekly arts and music therapy

Specialist drama and conflict resolution therapy sessions by a resident psychologist and visiting specialists

Sports activities via a local high school sports initiative

Long-term follow-up where children have been reunited with their families

Drop-in support care to adolescents who have left our safe house and become independent

An excellent record in campaigning with the state and other NGO’s for good services and reintegration into school and the community for former street children

Our project offers solutions that are sensitive to each child's needs and wishes - whether this be reintegration with their family, fostering, adoption or long term care with us.

Here is what one child wrote in a recent letter of thanks:

Dear Friends

My name is xx and I am living in the centre for more than four months and I like to be here. I am living here together with my brother which was coming two months ago.

Dear friends from England, through this letter I want to thank you very much for all the gifts. We are very happy and delighted. I and three others have started to learn playing guitars…we started the computer classes too.

I am in the eight grades and have to learn a lot this year because I spent a lot of time on the street. I didn't go to school for two years but I think that with wisdom, courage and perseverance, I will recuperate and I will change my future.

Again I want to thank you for your gifts

and I want to thank the staff. Because of them I am not in the street anymore. Thanks to them and to you, I have a shelter and I can change my life. I am not a street child anymore.

Thank you very much

xx.