In the project RiskChidren were indicated and achieved these Project Results:
- Modernization of Children‘s day care center in Siauliai city municipality.
Modernization of children`s day care centre in Siauliai (Aušros al. 64, Siauliai, Childrens Day Care Center “Tarp savų”), which belong to Siauliai city municipality administration, consisted of simple premises repair works (electrical, plumbing and general works needed). Accordingly, day care services for children at risk were improved. It created a safe and conducive environment to the full growth and development of the personality, also, created a home-like environment, fostered the child’s creativity, autonomy, freedom, and developed general personality skills. Refurbished facilities also provided better working conditions for staff who are committed to helping children and young people acquire the competences they need in life. Although the total area of the premises remains unchanged, the renovation works maximize the use of all areas.
- Modernization of Open Youth Center 24/7 in Siauliai city municipality.
By modernizing Open you center, and Open youth center 24/7 was established. Modernization of Open Young Center 24/7 consisted of simple premises repair works (by tidying the roof and painting the premises, install a WC in a 24/7 premises and fire alarm). Also, to ensure the safety of the visitors themselves, a video surveillance system in the 24/7 youth center premises was installed. Admission to a 24/7 youth center is possible through a magnetic lock system.
The open Youth center is a structural department of Šiauliai School of Arts, which is a budgetary institution belonging to Šiauliai city municipality. It is an institution that works openly with young people, providing free social, pedagogical and psychological services. The target group of Šiauliai Youth Center is young people aged 14 to 29. The Open Youth Center employed 2 youth workers who have 24/7 entrance identification cards. In Open Youth center regulations point 11.4 it is established that 24/7 space activity is ensured.
The Open Youth Center 24/7 created a workplace for youth workers. The staff of the open Youth Center 24/7 have their own office, a place where they could interact with the youth from the street, which is directed to the Center by social specialists working with youth on the street, inviting them to spend their free time safely, carry out preventive activities, and, most importantly, young people isn’t restricted by working hours and other.
- Improved social infrastructure for at risk children and youth in LT.
This implemented output noticeably improved social services and infrastructure for at risk children and youth care service in the form of purchasing of new equipment for Children’s day care center in Siauliai. The target group is children at risk attending Children’s Day Care Center “Tarp savų”. The activities of the Children’s Day Care Center are aimed at children at social risk, who are growing up in families that lack or don’t have social skills at all. The biggest part of such families doesn’t have some common equipment such as TVs, computers, vacuum cleaners etc. These circumstances extremely limit the possibilities for children from target families to develop their social skills and common knowledge on how to prepare simple meal, how to do rooms. The Children’s Day Care Center (VDC), with appropriate facilities and equipment (kitchen equipment, TV, computers, vacuum cleaner, shelves) improved and in some cases even created social skills of children attending VDC: cooking, housekeeping, communicating and collaborating. Information technologies are needed to do homework and to find the necessary information, because as mentioned above, children from these families in most cases don’t have computers and other equipment. VDC cooperates with Šiauliai Vocational Training Center, performs various activities, gives children visiting VDC the opportunity to acquire knowledge about possible professions, get acquainted with different professions and opportunities to acquire them. Social integration measures not only help children attending VDCs to acquire new knowledge, skills and competences, but also help them to prepare for independent live.
- Improved and created social services for at risk children and youth in LT and LV.
During the project implementation, a new social service – work with youth on the street was introduced and methodology with recommendations/instructions for providing these services were developed by Siauliai city municipality and adapted by Jelgava local government. Within the project duration, this methodology for work with young on the street was created, piloted and corrected according to the practical experience in Siauliai and Jelgava. After development of the methodology, new social service was introduced in LT and LV – 2 social workers were hired by every partner for work exceptionally only with youth on the streets. Social workers for work on the streets are working after the end of the project. In Siauliai new social service was introduced to Siauliai City social system. Social work with youth started work in Siauliai Open Youth center.
Siauliai city municipality, according to all national legislation and implemented reforms at national level, aims to deinstitutionalize the social services for children left without parental care. Municipality aims to find as more as possible carers and on-call carers which help to take children out from institutions or prevent the risk for them to get into the institution during different crises. During the project implementation:
– 278 carers (care-givers), on-call carers, adoptive parents and family members for at risk children received legal and psychological help to overcome crisis situations (legal advice services – contract for 151 hours (116 persons); primary psychologist services – contract for 90 hours (90 person); repeated psychologist services – contract for 208 hours (72 person)),
– an informative campaign to encourage people to become a career or an adoptive parent was organized, including TV/outside advertisements and organized online and live informative events.
Methodology “Work with youth on the street” (LT):
https://2014-2020.latlit.eu//wp-content/uploads/2022/11/DarbosujaunimugatvejeSiauliuirJelgavosmiestemetodika06-08-1.pdf
Adverticing clip to find as more as possible carers and on-call carers which help to take children out from institutions or prevent the risk for them to get into the institution during different crises:
- Improvement of building for children and youth in Jelgava local government.
To improve infrastructure of social risk-exposed young people in Jelgava city, Jelgava local government institution “Central Administration” has modernized and improved building in Jelgava for children and youth. Carried renovation works included site preparation, dismantling, building protection and plinth insulation, facade insulation, window and door replacement, roof renovation, building constructions, interior decoration, indoor water and sewerage networks, ventilation system installation, heating system constructions, electrical system installation, electronic communication systems installation, heat substation installation, installation of external heating networks, automatic fire detection and alarm system installation works. Renovated building is located in Loka magistrale 25, Jelgava.
During the project a new Youth centre was created in Jelgava. The Youth centre serves as the main operation platform organizing youth volunteer work in Jelgava in general by administrating youth initiative competition “Youth can!” as well as cooperating with Jelgava youth NGOs and NGOs working with young people. It also organizes both work with young people with limited opportunities and street youth, including development of technical creativity in Pārlielupe and organization of youth summer outdoor activities (e.g. “Basta games”) etc. The Youth centre works as one-stop information agency as well, providing needed assistance to children and youth at social risk by offering rooms for youth to chill, relax and workout, podcast/filming rooms, organize different musical and educational events, provide assistance and support in participation and implementation of youth projects/ideas, offer premises for meetings and events of youth initiative groups, youth organizations, offer use of office equipment and organize youth exhibitions etc.
- Created social inclusion measures in LV.
Within the project developed and tested methodology serves as a base while developing social inclusion measures in Jelgava city and organizing work with street youth. During the project implementation, four youth specialists were hired to work exceptionally with street youth. Jelgava local government institution “Community Centre” is responsible for both organizing work with street youth and managing work of the “Youth Centre”. In connection to that internal regulations of “Community Centre” have been revised and supplemented added with tasks that regulates also work with street youth. The work with street youth includes the following activities: regularly carry out mapping to update youth gatherings. Emphasize is put on those areas where young people usually gather outside video surveillance cameras in the city. This how youth specialists identify areas where it is relevant to put more efforts addressing street youth and informing about available social inclusion measure; use the developed methodological instructions “Methodology for working with young people on the street in Siauliai and Jelgava”, when performing street work; organize circulations in areas the street youth usually once in a week youth specialists in order to identify youth needs and offer provided social inclusion measures in “Youth Centre” i.e. The average number of young people the youth specialists address and work with is 20 young people at one time.
The new Youth Centre different services to all young people and children and youth at social risk are offered, such as – special correction program with rhythm elements “circle of rhythm”, photography lessons, food cooking lessons, art classes and drama lessons, psychologist consultations, creative workshops, thematic seminars and other educational activities and events. At a later stage it is planned to organize events within the society recognizable persons and arrange local excursions such as visits to the museums, theatres, animal shelters etc.
Methodology “Work with youth on the street” (LV): Created_methodology_into_Latvian
