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Description
The project responds to the needs of social inclusion of Roma people and contributes to the development of the capacity of 9 day centers with over 2/3 Roma beneficiaries from Ialomița, Arad, Buzău and Mureș counties. The target group is represented by 1462 people, of which: 1031 Roma people - 70.5% (761 beneficiaries of day center services, respectively 464 children and 297 family members; 210 vulnerable Roma people from communities and 60 experts and leaders Roma) and 431 non-Roma people (168 professionals and volunteers, 200 community members and 63 children benefiting from the participating day centers).
Objectives:
- Improving the institutional capacity of day centers by developing and implementing institutional projects, training center heads, LPA representatives, employees and other categories of volunteer specialists;
- Increasing the capacity of day centers to get involved in the awareness process of Roma people at community level;
- Improving the skills of children and families receiving day services and increasing the skills of Roma specialists and leaders to promote ethnic rights;
- Preventing and combating any form of discrimination against Roma in the communities participating in the project.
Summary of project results
The project aimed to address the difficulties of implementing the new quality standards in nine day care centres that provides integrated social services in communities from four counties. Being subordinated to the local authorities, these services are managed with difficulty, due to the poor training of the staff, especially in rural areas. The staff has not benefited from training for working with Roma children and parents and does not have working tools in empowerment activities. The funds allocated to the day care centres are distributed to provide daily food and to pay the staff, being insufficient for improving the quality of services. Volunteering in day care centres was insufficiently developed, although a great need for activities with children was identified. At communities level, there is a need for increasing awareness regarding discrimination for Roma people, as well as for the majority population.
The project improved the institutional capacity of the day care centres. Institutional projects adapted to the needs and priorities identified were developed; training courses provided for the heads of centres (9 people), public local authorities’ representatives (9 people), employed staff (53 people), and other categories of volunteer specialists (97 people).
It also increased the capacity of the staff to participate in the awareness process of individuals of Roma ethnicity at the community level, benefiting 507 people.
The skills of children benefiting from the services of the nine day care centres were improved (464 Roma children and 63 children from vulnerable groups who are not of Roma);
Through conducting awareness-raising campaigns on anti-discrimination issues, 284 individuals from the majority population, 297 Roma ethnics, as well as a number of 60 Roma specialists and leaders increased their skills to promote ethnic rights.
The project increased the chances of social inclusion and better empowerment of Roma children and young people and their families from rural communities and disadvantaged urban neighborhoods in Ialomița, Arad, Buzau, and Mures counties; ensured the development of the quality of services provided to the Roma population by nine day centers that promote models of good empowerment practices, awareness and non-discrimination campaigns, network intervention, teamwork, and social solidarity.