Description
The project aims to of develop an innovative system of integrated social services for disadvantaged children and young people, strengthening the mentioned network by providing new “friendly” social services, adapted to the necessities of target- groups and promoting quality in services provision. The project will have as a result the increased access of the main target group to social services, but also the provision of adequate services, oriented to real necessities of the group. The main target group it is represented by disadvantaged children and young people, project beneficiaries being 200 children and youngsters from disadvantaged families, in majority Roma, from the 5th district of Bucharest. For assuring a real efficiency of the intervention, the project has as secondary target groups families of children, school and community.
Summary of project results
“Together for the future” project was initiated to better answer the need of the poor communities from Bucharest and especially sector 5 area regarding educational and social issues like: high rate of school dropout, severe poverty, very low level of social integration etc. Within the project there were provided activities for children and teenagers (social assistance, psychological counselling and therapy, medical assistance, formal and non-formal educational services, material support for sustaining school participation etc.), activities for families (social assistance, psychological counselling, parental counselling, services aimed at increasing the access on the labour market etc.). The project also aimed to consolidate a network with public and private institutions and identify new partners in order to diversify services and increase efficiency of intervention. The main results of the project are: 200 disadvantaged children and teenagers had access to educational and social complex services aimed to prevent and reduce family and school dropout, 80 parents benefited from social and psychological services aimed at the improvement of their family relations and their access to the labour market. Also the project included activities for preventing domestic violence, 15 persons receiving specific counselling and being referred to services. 12 public and private institutions contributed with expertise and resources to the project activities and the sustainability of the project. All children in the project were kept in school and 70% improved school performance. 50 families improved the quality of family relationship and 60 families improved the quality of their lives. Three new innovative services were introduced within the project: "beneficiary for beneficiary" - to stimulate forms of solidarity and volunteering, "respiro" - for families with many children and "parent-child” educational services to involve parents in the educational process and value education. The project also involved 18 volunteers, students and (former) beneficiaries.
Summary of bilateral results
The project was initially proposed to be implemented in partnership with Vestlandsforsking AS Institute which was supposed to contribute with input on the methodology of a study about delivering services. Following the signature of the contract, the partner decided to withdraw from the project as the promoter did not manage to agree with the new staff from the partner upon the responsibilities, budget and reporting rules under the grant contract. The responsibilities of conducting the study were undertaken by a Romanian expert.