Family-type placement center for children and youth

What does this social service do:

The Center is a residential social service providing a living environment for full-fledged growth and development of children who are somehow not getting the necessary care in their own biological family (the child is neglected, the parents are deceased, the parents have mental or other severe conditions or drug addiction, families going through serious crisis; violence in the family, etc.) or were deprived of parental care and have exhausted the possibilities to go back to their biological family, relatives or a foster family at the time of their placement in the Center.

The capacity of family-type centers is up to 15 children/adolescents. Children and adolescents placed at the Center can be of different age, gender, degree of impairment and level of autonomy.

Centers can also be specialized when they need to meet specific needs of children/adolescents due to a health condition or the type and severity of disability.

What do children benefit from when placed with the Family-type Center?

• They get to live in a safe and secure environment and to have their basic needs met, such as food, shelter, security and development. The staff of the Center provides around-the-clock care.
• They have access to health prevention and care, treatment and remedial therapy.
• They have access to counseling services and information, such as social, psychological, educational, health related, vocational or other information. Every child receives individual support and accompaniment in order to overcome problems in everyday life.
• They have their learning needs met. Children go to conventional kindergartens and schools and the team at the family-type center encourages their cognitive development and provides support in the learning process.
• They are provided with the conditions and support in order to acquire knowledge and develop abilities and life skills.
• They are enabled to express their opinions freely and make decisions independently. They can also take part in discussing the daily routine and internal rules, such as deciding whether they should be placed with the Center, insofar as they can make that decision, shaping their personal living space, prepping food, etc.
• They are given the possibility to restore and maintain a relationship with their parents and families and to create a relationship with foster parents or adopters, taking full consideration of the child’s best interest.

 

Children are taken care of by a multidisciplinary team comprised of:

• Social workers, one being the manager of the Center;
• Educators;
• Help-educators;
• Support staff: a cleaning person and a cook.

 

How do children become eligible for placement with the Family-type Center?

The decision to place a child with the Family-type center is made by the director of the local Social Assistance Directorate responsible for the area where the family lives based on a proposal by the social worker of the Child Protection Department who knows best the needs of the child and the problems in the family. The director of the Social Assistance Directorate issues an administrative order for the placement of the child with this service. Within one month of the order, the local court needs to confirm the child’s placement with the Center.