A diagnosis conducted by ourselves and the partner shows that even in preschool, children from the poorest families know less about the world, and when they start school, their confidence and belief in their potential fades. Normally, approximately 30% of children in a class perform less well academically, while 2-3 fall behind. Children’s potential at school often reflects their domestic situation. Failure to recognise and provide proper support for a problem early can lead to future fear of school, failure in education, truancy, and a need to place a child in a special school or in a facility. We know from contact with schools and preschools that in the Starosielce, Zielone Wzgórza, Słoneczny Stok, Leśna Dolina and Wysoki Stoczek residential estates in Białystok, there are no services for families that have problems raising children.
The aim of this project is to counteract, at an early stage, social exclusion by helping families to solve their problems.
We will create a Family Support Centre for vulnerable families with domestic, child-raising, and personal difficulties and crises. We will hold educational and cognitive, overall development, cultural, artistic, sport, technical, art, and cooking classes for children aged 3 – 10 twice a week. We will provide adults with one-on-one consultations and monthly group sessions (experience-sharing, joint problem-solving). We will hold two three-day trips to attend workshops for families (coaching on communication, child-raising skills, strengthening family ties, and active recreation).
This will address areas of deficiency with respect to children, and parents’ child-raising skills and family communication will improve.
Fifteen families – twenty adults and twenty children on Białystok residential estates – will be given specialist help.
The partner – the SZANSA Family and Children Aid Association – will hold trips to attend workshops for families and provide us with content-related support and personnel.