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Description
The project responds to the needs for support and information for parents of children with disabilities with limited access to integration services from 5 rural communities in Prahova County. In the same time the project addresses the needs for information and resources within the civil society organisations that are willing to develop programs for vulnerable groups but lack the capacity to do it.
In order to increase parent’s capacity to advocate for services and to strengthen civil society capacity to develop services, the project proposes a mix of activities including training activities, situation analysis and local public policies development and awareness campaigns. 60 parents of children with disabilities (with a focus on autism) from 5 rural communities and Campina will receive information and support within a series of 4 workshops covering different topics related to access to services within the community. 15 single parents (with a focus on single mothers) will be included in a support group. All beneficiaries will be involved in a situation analysis regarding public services and will participate to the development of a local public strategy aiming to increase access to integration services for people with disabilities.
45 people representing civil society in the community will participate to a series of 3 trainings covering fundraising, project management and advocacy. The parents of children with disabilities and 15 project volunteers will collaborate in organising a public socialising events for children and in designing and coordinating a local awareness campaign promoted on the internet, Facebook and through media, campaign militating for the needs for inclusion of people with disabilities.
Summary of project results
There is a severe shortage of support and therapy services for children with disabilities in Prahova County. The existing public services were extremely limited, often providing only a few hours of therapy per month for a short duration (up to 5 months). Many children with disabilities, especially in rural areas, lived in isolation due to the lack of integrated support services; they typically relied on a single caregiver, often a parent, who usually lacked specific training in managing their child''s needs. Even more, families, particularly those in disadvantaged areas, struggled to understand the procedures for obtaining disability-related rights and services. The bureaucratic process for preparing and submitting the necessary documentation was often overwhelming.
The project responded to the need for support and information for parents of children with disabilities with limited access to integration services from 5 rural communities in Prahova County. At the same time, it addresses the need for information and resources within the civil society organizations that are willing to develop programs for vulnerable groups but cannot do it. To increase parent’s capacity to advocate for services and to strengthen civil society''s capacity to develop services, the project proposed a mix of activities including training activities, needs analysis, and local public policies development and awareness campaigns.
During the project, 57 parents of children with disabilities (with a focus on autism) participated in 4 workshops covering different topics related to access to services within the community. 15 parents (with a focus on single mothers) have benefited from the support group (8 sessions) during the project. 25 children and their families have been involved in two play and socializing events. 45 representatives from 7 local organizations have participated in a 3-day course on project management, advocacy, and fundraising.104 persons from the community have been consulted, resulting in a Report on the need for services for children and young people with disabilities and a proposal for a local policy paper.