September 19, 2005

Children with disabilities will receive better care as a result of the training received by 200 social workers and foster parents this week, in a four-day conference led by Australian volunteer professionals. The conference, held in Sinaia September 19-23, is sponsored by the Romanian National Authority for the Protection of Children’s Rights, the International Voluntary Health Network (IVHN), and ChildNet, a project of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

The conference is an international undertaking, with training provided for the third consecutive year by a team of Australian volunteers who are specialists in working with children with disabilities. These specialists are occupational therapists, physiotherapists, teachers, medical assistants, paramedics, remedial therapists, and massage therapists who are members of the International Voluntary Health Network (IVHN).

The conference in Sinaia will be followed by a series of four two-day workshops organized in Dambovita, Vaslui, Galati and Harghita counties. According to National Authority for the Protection of Children’s Rights statistics, these four counties have deinstitutionalized the largest populations of children with intellectual or physical disabilities who are currently living with foster families. In this respect the four counties are among the most successful counties in Romania. The workshops will allow foster parents, social workers, and other child welfare professionals to refresh and update the skills they need to work successfully with children.

IVHN volunteers will train child welfare professionals in evaluating children’s needs, and in improving their potential for future development. The training will also contribute at creating specialized county-level services for these children and at developing the specialized foster care network for this group. The county workshops will be organized with support from the local County Councils and General Directorates for Social Assistance and Child Protection.

About 200 professionals will receive training. It is expected that many of the workshop participants will become resource persons for their own and other counties in need of foster parents who are trained to raise children with disabilities.

The conference supports the philosophy that every child should have a permanent living situation as part of a family with whom the child has a continuous, reciprocal relationship. Such an environment is essential for children to have the confidence they need to develop emotionally, physically, psychologically, and socially. While the ideal situation for a child is to be raised within his or her biological family, when this is not possible, foster families provide a vital solution for children waiting for adoptive families.

The importance of the family, whether biological, foster, or adoptive, is recognized throughout the world.

back to top ^

19 Septembrie 2005

Mai multi copii romani cu dizabilitati vor primi servicii de ingrijire mai bune datorita pregatirii de patru zile oferita de profesionisti australieni voluntari. La aceasta sesiune de pregatire vor participa, in cursul acestei saptamani, peste de 200 de asistenti sociali si asistenti maternali profesionisti. Conferinta ce are loc la Sinaia in perioada 19-23 septembrie, a.c., este organizata cu sprijinul Autoritatii Nationale pentru Protectia Drepturilor Copilului, Reteaua Internationala de Voluntariat pentru Sanatate (International Voluntary Health Network - IVHN) si ChildNet, un program finantat de Agentia Statelor Unite pentru Dezvoltare Internationala (USAID).

Aceasta conferinta este o initiativa internationala prin care o echipa de voluntari australieni specializati in recuperarea copiilor cu dizabilitati ofera, pentru al treilea an consecutiv, pregatire personalului roman specializat in ingrijirea copiilor cu dizabilitati. Echipa de profesionisti australieni include: ergo-terapeuti, psihoterapeuti, profesori, asistenti medicali, paramedici si kinetoterapeuti, toti membri ai IVHN.

Pregatirea ce are loc la Sinaia va fi urmata de o serie de ateliere de lucru de doua zile organizate in judetele Dambovita, Vaslui, Galati si Harghita. Potrivit Autoritatii Nationale pentru Protectia Drepturilor Copilului, aceste patru judete au reusit performanta de a dezinstitutionaliza un numar mare de copii cu dizabilitati fizice sau mentale prin plasarea lor in grija asistentilor maternali profesionisti, fiind pe primele locuri din tara in aceasta privinta. Atelierele de lucru vor da posibilitatea profesionistilor romani sa-si imbunatateasca sau sa-si reactualizeze abilitatile profesionale de care au nevoie pentru a avea succes in munca lor cu copiii cu nevoi speciale.

Voluntarii IVHN vor pregati specialistii romani in evaluarea nevoilor copiilor si in cresterea potentialului lor de dezvoltare. De asemenea pregatirea va contribui la crearea de servicii specializate pentru copiii cu dizabilitati la nivelul judetelor, precum si la dezvoltarea retelei de asistentii maternali profesionisti care lucreaza cu acest grup tinta. Atelierele de lucru organizate in cele patru judete sunt sustinute de Consiliile Judetene si Directiile Generale de Asistenta Sociala si Protectia Copilului ale judetelor mentionate mai sus.

Aproximativ 200 de profesionisti romani vor beneficia de pregatire si se doreste ca o parte dintre acestia sa devina la randul lor persoane-resursa pentru serviciile specializate oferite atat in propriile judete, cat si in alte judete care au nevoie sa-si dezvolte o retea de asistenti maternali profesionisti specializati in ingrijirea copiilor cu nevoi speciale.

Conferinta sustine principiul potrivit caruia fiecare copil trebuie sa creasca intr-un mediu stabil, ca parte a unei familii cu care copilul are o relatie continua, de reciprocitate. Un asemenea mediu este esential pentru a-i pe ajuta copii sa dezvolte o relatie de atasament atat de necesara pentru buna lor dezvoltarea emotionala, fizica, psihologica si sociala. Pentru fiecare copil este ideal sa poata creste in propria sa familie; dar atunci cand aceasta solutie nu este posibila, familia de plasament se poate dovedi o alternativa vitala pentru copiii care asteapta sa fie adoptati. Importanta familiei, fie ca este familia biologica, familia de plasament sau familia adoptiva, este recunoscuta in toata lumea.

Pentru mai multe informatii, va rugam contactati:
Mirela Lavric
Specialist Protectia Copilului
World Learning, ChildNet
Tel.: 021 326 08 14

sus ^