Description
Social welfare of children at risk living in peripheral areas of Lithuania is significantly inferior compared to those living in larger cities. Children living in periphery are more exposed to poor social environment and lack activities that could provide them with adequate socialization opportunities and prevent from engaging into harmful habits. The project is aimed and expansion of social services for children and youth at risk in Kelme, Aukstadvaris and Vieksniai regions by establishing 3 children day care centers. The centers are to be established in the areas where municipal childcare and support facilities are insufficient or poorly serviced. The ASOM initiative will allow improving the material base as well as range of services provided for more than 80 children and youth at risk. In addition, project is aimed at strengthening organizational and expert capacity of ASOM in working with children and youth at risk. ASOM intends to prepare the guidelines for continuous activity and development of children and youth day care centers as well as train up to 20 social educators and volunteers. Target groups are children and youth at risk, social workers and volunteers.
Summary of project results
Less developed and lagging regions of Lithuania often suffer from high unemployment rate, low level of education (especially higher education), and wages being well below the average of the country. All these circumstances have an effect on social life as well as directly on children who have less opportunities of socialization, engagement into informal education or additional after-school activities, etc. In case of prolonged suchlike situation the risk of children engaging in undesirable activities (consumption of alcohol, tobacco or drugs, engagement into criminal offences) or becoming a victim of domestic violence increases significantly. Taking this into account it could be stated that there is an obvious need of comprehensive social services at place, i.e. in those lagging provincial regions. Project promoter The Auxiliary Service of the Order of Malta has selected some of the most underdeveloped regions to change the situation on available social services to children and youth there. The project goal was an improved provision of welfare and social services for children and youth from social risk groups in the regions of Kelmė, Aukštadvaris and Viekšniai. The achievement of this goal was divided into the tasks of setting up and developing several day care centres for children and youth as well as strengthening skills of the organization to work with children and youth at risk. Project promoter has achieved the following results: a) children and youth day care centres in Kelmė and Aukštadvaris established, the staff needed for service provision hired and trained; b) children and youth day care centre in Viekšniai improved by strengthening the material base as well as training the staff; c) guidelines for operation and development of children and youth day care centres drafted; d) 36 social workers and educators trained; e) 100 children and youth from social risk groups received social services. The key target groups of the project were children and youth from social risk groups, social workers and volunteers working with children and youth in social risk groups, employees and volunteers of project promoter working with the activities and development of the organization.
Summary of bilateral results