Description
Social services provided by NGOs were not directly funded by different donors since 2006, so the number of those who provide social services has decreased dramatically. According to statistics the number of children who have suffered some form of abuse is growing and public institutions are faced with a large number of cases and a small number of specialists who have remained in the system. The Community-Children-Family project proposed by Save the Children Iasi, in partnership with Resource Center County and Educational Assistance Iasi, aim the development of social services specializing in the rehabilitation of children and adolescents with emotional and behavioral disorders who experiencing traumatic events such as abuses or sexual exploitation by means of the following activities: creating a specialized intervention model; implementation of parenting services for 250 parents in rural and urban; increasing the capacity of intervention for 75 professionals from social services, education and health; improving the capacity of Save the Children Iasi to develop social services.
Summary of project results
The Nort-East Region is one of the poorest regions in Romania, with a high incidence of child abuse (emotional and sexual abuse, neglect, etc.). The Community-Children-Family project, implemented by Save the Children Iasi in partnership with Iasi County Center for Resources and Educational Assistance, aimed to develop specialised social services for rehabilitation of children and adolescents who have emotional and behavioural disorders after traumatic events such as abuse and sexual exploitation. A specialised social model of intervention was developed, based on which 42 children who suffered a form of abuse or sexual exploitation and their families received support and benefited of treatment programmes, aiming at psychological help and social adaptation. A number of 55 professionals from 6 counties were trained to develop and provide community social services to abused or sexually exploited children: 25 specialists (psychologists, psychotherapists, social workers) in cognitive behavioural techniques and family therapy for rehabilitation of children who have suffered trauma and 30 professionals (teachers and educators from orphanages, social workers) in the development of programmes for positive discipline and parenting services. In order to prevent abusive behaviours on children, 416 parents were provided with parenting classes by the trained specialists (231 parents) and project staff (185 parents). As a result, parents were able to use positive parenting strategies, as well as identify changes and progress in their children's behaviours. Three regional workshops on integrated interventions were organised, with the purpose of involving specialists active in social and public services in a network which would actively function and prevent, refer and intervene in child abuse and trafficking cases. With the 60 specialists attending, there were agreed working procedures and were established 3 interdisciplinary teams able to offer complex interventions in child abuse and trafficking cases. In order to share the experience gained within the project, inform and train other stakeholders, over 900 brochures for parents and 500 guides for professionals working with children who have suffered a form of abuse and their families were disseminated.
Summary of bilateral results