Description
According to statistics, the South-East Region of Romania ranks second with a total of 8190 children at risk who receive social assistance and protection. The project aims to improve the quality of social services by stimulating co-operation for implementing an innovative program of measures for social inclusion and fighting discrimination of children at risk. Also, the project aims to stimulate taking actions meant to contribute to the implementation of an innovative social practice from the perspective of promoting the rights and competencies of children, as well as to improve the responsibility of the involved actors in the social services. In concrete terms, the project will boost the performance of 200 providers of social assistance trough a new method: social puppet theater. The direct beneficiaries are: 100 decision makers and specialists (public services) of which 5 are Roma, 100 decision makers and specialists (NGOs) of which 5 are Roma, 50 children at risk of which 5 are Roma.
Summary of project results
According to official statistics, the South-Eastern Region of Romania, which Tulcea County is part of, ranks on the second place in terms of the number of children at risk, receiving social protection services (8190 children). Moreover, the situation of children imposed innovative measures to promote children rights and facilitate their development, with methods that are child-centered. A guide on non-formal method of “puppet social theatre” has been developed in the project, as an instrument to promote the social skills of children at risk. This non-formal education method and its instrument have been promoted in 4 regional events (Iași, Galați, Bacău, Constanța) and in the framework of county networks, where 166 representatives of local authorities and specialists from NGOs have benefitted from a transfer of expertise on the topic of improving the competences to provide recreational social services. The project also supported the provision of social services in the Day Centre “Raza Soarelui” from Dunavățu de Jos, Tulcea County, by implementation of educational-leisure activities. During 48 intercultural workshops, 70 children at risk, out of which 25 Roma, have benefitted from an innovative method for learning and development of skills – communication with the use of puppets. A number of 60 specialists providing services to children at risk (psychologists, psychopedagogues, social workers) have participated in 2 interactive workshops, in which they have acquired new knowledge and skills in using the method of puppet social theatre, based on the specific methodology developed in the project. The project contributed to the improvement of the quality of social services provided to children at risk in the North-East and South-Eas regions of Romania, by equipping spcialists with a new working method –puppet theatre for social inclusion.
Summary of bilateral results