Description
The project aims to improve the quality of life of families with disabled children by empowering parents to make their own initiatives to improve the functioning of children and families, providing them with knowledge on the rights of families and issues concerning NGOs and self-help groups. The project includes also a therapeutic and rehabilitation component and promotes volunteering and activities in local community. Project will benefit 30 families with children with disabilities from Olkuski district. The project is implemented in partnership with the Catholic society of disabled persons and Their friends "KLIKA" and School and Pre-school integration organization No. 1 in Olkusz.
Summary of project results
"The Association assists about 30 families with disabled children (DC). Evaluation of needs proved a necessity to support DCs' parents, who on one side didn't have any experience in taking independent decisions and couldn't improve the family life quality, and on the other side they felt the need to assembly and to acquire resources for the cause. Also, it's been observed that the undertaken therapeutic and rehabilitation activities for children aren't complementary. The aim of the project was to counteract social exclusion of the parents of disabled children through encouraging them to social activity and self-organization and improvement of the therapeutic and rehabilitation offer for their children. Thanks to the project realization 30 families with disabled children gained support: the parents gained skills necessary for self-organization and local activity and children gained new possibilities of therapy and rehabilitation. 10 parents took part in 2 training cycles devoted to self-organization and realization of bottom-up initiatives. They also visited Association KLIKA, where they learned about various forms of stimulation to activity, self-organization and self-determination of disabled adults. An integration café for parents and an activation and integration club for children were founded. Two integration events were organized, and a therapeutic library with therapy aids for disabled children was founded. A consulting point for DCs' parents has been started, where 25 families gained psychological knowledge on the developmental needs of a disabled child, challenging behavior, personal development, rehabilitation, nutrition and therapy. Therapeutic workshops for parents and children were conducted, and professional individual therapy and rehabilitation for 30 children (240 hours) were offered. 20 volunteers supported the project realization. 30 families with disabled children benefited the project. Catholic society of disabled persons and their friends ""KLIKA"" in Cracow shared their experience in self-aid and self-organization activities. School and Pre-school integration organisation number 1 in Olkusz let their premises to use and helped in promotion and arrangement of the integration activities."
Summary of bilateral results