Stephanie Sober 1999
CASE STUDY
COUNTRY: Argentina
PROGRAM: "The House of the Kites": a Transit Home
for Street Children
LOCATION: Liniers, Argentina
SPONSORSHIP OF PROGRAM:
YMCA of the Republic of Argentina
and the National Council for Children and Family
HISTORY OF PROGRAM:
The program is the result of many
efforts, firstly to secure the needed resources and then to establish
agreements with the state. Through the National Council for Children
and Family, the basic infrastructure has been set up, and a technical
team is responsible for caring for the children.
APPROXIMATE NUMBER OF CHILDREN SERVED:
Up to 12 — Length of stay varies,
but no longer than 3 months.
CHARACTERISTICS OF CHILDREN SERVED:
Children at high social risk.
HOW CHILDREN ARE RECRUITED/SELECTED:
A team of street workers is sent
daily to locations identified as areas with the largest concentration
of children at risk. The team approaches, motivates and sensitizes
the children so they come to the home voluntarily.
PROGRAM SERVICES:
The children live freely and naturally
in the home under the guidance of temporary "parents" and learn to
abide by certain mutually established conditions. All of the children
attend school, go to sports clubs in the area, participate in workshops
for manual or artistic creation in the home and develop a normal life
of social relationships. Contacts are made with the family, and family
members come to the home and join in activities designed for them.
When returning to the family is not possible, the child is taken to
another home that functions differently, generally with foster parents.
FINANCIAL BASIS OF PROGRAM:
YMCA of Argentina and agreements
with the state, including the National Council for Children and Family.
PHILOSOPHY OR APPROACH:
The home is primarily intended
to provide security and the conditions essential for a life with dignity
for children who live on the streets.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
The Children are under the responsibility
of a couple that has been trained for this difficult task. Also, the
home provides a room for manual and artistic activities and a large
main hall for recreation and social activities.
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