More information
Description
Over the last several years children have been living in a more dynamic and faster changing environment compared to previous generations – demographic changes, environmental pollution, active contacts with other people and cultures, changes in the lifestyle, technological development, unlimited Internet access. All these factors can be regarded as premises for the emergence of new child needs that are both sources of new challenges and new opportunities. In order to make work with children beneficial and meaningful, it is necessary to know about these new needs and to find ways to meet them. The project aims at boosting the organization’s capacity by creating partnerships for implementation of activities targeted at identification and response to children’s quickly changing needs. The project is in line with the specific objective because it contributes to improving partnership with the institutions responsible for children’s well-being and to boosting the organization’s capacity and the effects of its work. The expected outcomes are as follows: 1) agreements signed with Haskovo Regional Department of Education, Haskovo Municipality, Regional Directorate for Social Assistance/Directorate for Social Assistance for partnership in identifying children’s current needs; 2) developed Recommendations for activities meeting the identified needs; 3) commitments made to implement the Recommendations in programmes and plans for children in Haskovo District. The organization is the direct beneficiary and indirect beneficiaries are children in Haskovo District. The target group are public institutions on local level.
Summary of project results
In recent years, children live in a much more dynamic environment than previous generations - demographic changes, active contacts with other people and cultures, new technologies. All these factors are a prerequisite for the appearance of new needs. It is necessary to know them in order our work with children to make sense and to be useful.
In this context, the main objective of the project was: to create partnerships aimed at studying the current and emerging needs of children and the preferred ways to meet them. The objective was achieved mainly through:
- Building partnerships with key institutions in Haskovo district, responsible for child welfare - Haskovo Municipality, Regional Department of Education and the Social Assistance Directorate;
- Survey of the opinions of a total of 543 children, parents and professionals through 481 questionnaires, 5 focus groups and 10 interviews. 26% of the children were Roma.
The most important result of the project is that children, parents and professionals trust us and shared what they believe are the needs of today''s children. Summarized in a Report and Recommendations - http://chancebg.org/?page_id=69 , this information gives us the direction for development, the confidence that we are close to the children, to what they want and what they dream of. Professionals and institutions have been given a chance to rethink their understanding of children''s needs and take steps to reach them.
The established partnerships are a prerequisite for implementing future joint activities to meet the needs of children. Haskovo Municipality has declared its readiness to include the conclusions of the Report and Recommendations in municipal programmes for personal development and education of children. The updated knowledge about children''s needs will be used by the association in planning and organizing future activities.