Transition from Residential Care to Integrated Community Services, in the context of Deinstitutionalization- Study case: CONCORDIA Humanitarian Organization

The Romanian Government has approved a National Strategy on the Protection of children’s Rights and has intensified the efforts of transforming the still existing larger institutions or group homes in smaller ones, family-similar. This is expected also from organizations with licensed social services.

In this context, in CONCORDIA Romania I coordinated the project for de-institutionalization of a large capacity center (“Farm for children”) and transition to smaller residential units in the local community. Also this process is implemented together with the process for developing integrated community services: day care centers for children and their families.

The process of deinstitutionalization in the Farm implies different paths, depending on the real opportunities for family reintegration, protection in family-like care models developed.

Main general objectives for the project are: (1) Developing family-based forms of care for those children who cannot be reintegrated in their families. (2) Increasing social services quality for children and their adequacy to individual needs.

In the process of transition from residential care to integrated community services, we developed the first 2 days care centers and we aim on scale-up this approach at regional level. The day care centers are focusing on educational program children, leisure activities, psychological support and speech therapy, jobcoaching for parents and other family members, direct support in the community offered by the mobile team.