In this project, vulnerable children without adequate care have access to individual, need-based care, and demonstrate increased emotional well-being, learning skills, results and self-confidence.

Thanks to organized training for parents, parental care and family systems are strengthened, helping to reduce child abuse and neglect. Parents demonstrate changes in attitude and behavior that promote the protection of children from violence, abuse, neglect or exploitation; so that children perceive themselves as living at home in a positive and safe environment.
 

Caritas Moldova offers love to the children of the Republic of Moldova through the 4 day centers for children: Рашков, Râbnița, Sloboda Рашков and Petropavlovca.

• Рашков

Period of activity: 2000 – present
Partner: Roman Catholic Parish "Saint Caetan", Рашков;
Purpose: Social integration of children from socially vulnerable families from the villages of Рашков, Caterinovca and Iantarnoe, Camenca district by offering alternative development opportunities.
Beneficiaries: 45 children aged 7-18, from the villages of Rascov, Caterinovca and Iantarnoe, Camenca district.
Donor: Caritas Austria
Activities: Pedagogical assistance in completing homework; Individual / group consultation and psychological support for children and parents; "SUN" sessions; Information sessions in child protection and life skills development; English lessons; Ethics and etiquette lessons; Social theater circle; Tailoring workshop / manual work; excursions, summer camps, sports competitions; Trainings for parents, to improve the parent-child relationship and their communication; Lunch for children;

"Helping families and working with children at St. Caetan Parish began in 1997.
At the beginning, the assistance was offered in the form of hot lunches for schoolchildren from the villages of Рашков, Katerinovca and Iantarnoe, as well as for preschoolers from kindergartens in these localities. This help was offered through the efforts of the parish abbot, the nuns who worked in the parish, and the parishioners.
Starting with the year 2000, the Рашков Children's Day Center was established. Since then, the center's services have been developed, including interesting after-school activities that have changed and adapted to children's needs. Since 2000, all the activities of the Children's Day Center are supported by Caritas Moldova. "
Center coordinator, Iulia Ivanova

• Petropavlovca

Period of activity: 2001 – present

Partner: Roman Catholic parish;

Purpose: Social integration of children from socially vulnerable families by providing alternative development opportunities.

Beneficiaries: 30 children aged 7-18, from Petropavlovca village, Sangerei district.

Donor: Caritas Austria

Activities: : Pedagogical assistance in completing homework; Individual / group consultation and psychological support for children and parents; "SUN" sessions; Information sessions in child protection and life skills development; English lessons; Ethics and etiquette lessons; Social theater circle; Tailoring workshop / manual work; excursions, summer camps, sports competitions; Trainings for parents, to improve the parent-child relationship and their communication; Lunch for children;

• Râbnița

Period of activity: 2003 – 2020
Partner: Roman Catholic Parish "Saint Iosif", or. Râbnița
Purpose: Prevention of school dropout, social integration of children from vulnerable families in the Râbnița, socialization of institutionalized children and children left without guardianship due to parental migration.
Beneficiaries: 30 children from socially vulnerable families, aged between 7-16 years.
Donor: ERSTE Foundation, Komensky Fond, Caritas Viena
Activities: : Pedagogical assistance in completing homework; Individual / group consultation and psychological support for children and parents; "SUN" sessions; Information sessions in child protection and life skills development; English lessons; Ethics and etiquette lessons; Social theater circle; Tailoring workshop / manual work; excursions, summer camps, sports competitions; Trainings for parents, to improve the parent-child relationship and their communication; Lunch for children;

In 2003, at the initiative of the Roman Catholic Parish of St. Joseph, in Râbnița started the work of re-education and resocialization of children with behavior problems and delinquent teenagers. In October, Caritas Moldova opened a Day Center for children at risk from vulnerable families.

"The history of the children's day center is very closely linked to St. Joseph's Parish of the Catholic Church. During the construction of the house and the parish church (1992-2003), the parishioners organized a small kitchen for the workers in a temporary garage. At that time, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, people began to be surrounded by poverty. For this reason, many began to turn to the Church for help. The abbot helped as much as he could: food, clothes, shoes.

Funds for these needs were received from the Congregation of the Priests of the Heart of Jesus in Poland.
And this was the beginning of the social activity of the Parish. Over time, in 1995, the Apostolic Administrator of the Catholic Church, Monsignor Anton Cosa, formed Caritas Moldova. From that moment, the assistance of those in need was possible thanks to the new sponsors, donors, as well as the training of staff and adequate infrastructure (a kitchen, study rooms, a gym, a sports field), through various social projects: Social canteen, Street children.

In winter of 2001, several children called the parish for help, asking for clothes and food, the children were dirty and dressed in shabby clothes. Father Tadeusz showed compassion and the children were fed and dressed in warm clothes, and a month later eight other children were found living in the sewers. These children were from different countries in Moldova, Kazakhstan, Transnistria, children who for some reason ended up on the street, without house.  There was an abandoned house near the parish. Together with the children the house was redecorated and they were accommodated in it. Fortunately, guests from Caritas Luxembourg who visited the parish took part in helping the children, bought bed linen and food.

After finding and learning about charity, more and more children and adults began to ask for support. In this situation, we had to open a social canteen. The beneficiaries of the canteen were street children, young drug addicts and children engaged in prostitution. Subsequently, in 2015, the canteen was transformed into a children's day center "Speranța" with financial support from Komensky Fond, ERSTE Stiftung, Caritas Vienna and Caritas Austria, and with implementation support from Caritas Moldova.
Finding attention and care at the Center, things they lacked in the family, the children soon became attached to the staff here. Gradually, the children changed their bad behavior, being involved in interesting and useful activities for them. During the activity, the Center also contributed to the social integration of the boarding school students.
Over the years, the "Hope" center has been improved and renewed annually with a large number of children, orphans, children from dysfunctional families, low-income families and difficult adolescents; as well as with various activities aimed at social and psychological assistance to children and their parents. Thanks to the enormous work of the principal, coordinator, teachers, psychologist, the children have received and continue to receive help, protection, attention and love. ”
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Center coordinator, Anna Oleinic

"I would like to express my deep gratitude to all the staff members and donors who support the" Speranța "children's center in Râbnița. I benefited from the services of the center ten years ago, but I still remember all the love and support I received there. It was an excellent opportunity for my development and education. I was helped in my studies and made a lot of friends. At the moment, I live and work in Moscow. I have a wonderful life, and the center and the parish have played an important role in my growth. "
A letter received from a former beneficiary of the children's center in Râbnița

• Sloboda Рашков

Period of activity: 2001 – 2020

Partner: Roman Catholic Parish "Saint Martha", Slobozia Рашков village, Camenca district

Purpose: ensuring access to pre-school education for children in localities where there is no kindergarten; Social integration of children from socially vulnerable families by providing alternative development opportunities

Beneficiaries: 12 children aged between 1.6 and 3 years, 15 children aged between 7-16 years, from Slobozia-Rascov village, Camenca district

Donor: Caritas Viena

Activities:

- organizing didactic and intellectual development activities, instructive-educational games for preschoolers; ensuring the nutrition of children; continuous training of staff; working with parents, organizing trips for children and their parents;

- individual / group consultation and psychological support for children aged 7-16 and parents; information sessions in child protection and development of life skills; etiquette lessons; English lessons; excursions, summer camps, sports competitions; trainings for parents, to improve the parent-child relationship and their communication;

In 2001, within the Roman Catholic Parish “St. Marta ”, in the village of Sloboda-Рашков, a day center for children was created. The preschool institution being completely absent from this locality, the parents employed in the service often left their children at home, without supervision. Thus, at the initiative of the local parish priest and at the request of a group of parents, the children's center was opened, with a program in the first half of the day, the beneficiaries being provided with food for their stay in the center. Two nuns were hired as educators, who promoted an interactive educational program. Thanks to Caritas Moldova, the Center has developed permanently. In 2012, with the support of Caritas Luxembourg, Caritas Vienna and Kindersmissionswerk, the conditions in the spaces for activities, the diet, were improved. Taking care also for the training of staff, since 2012, the center has known a progressive development and records remarkable performances.

"The history of the Sloboda-Rascov Children's Center begins in 1997. At that time there was no kindergarten in the village. But then there were many young families, especially mothers, who worked at the school and at the orphanage. The mothers had nowhere to leave their preschool children and turned to the local parish priest Father Henry with a request to help them solve this problem.

Locally, a small room was organized for children aged 4-6, and a kitchen, where children received a light snack during their four-hour stay at the Parish. The children were supervised by nuns, who organized educational games for them, communicated to them about spiritual values, and fed them. The food was brought by the parents and the parish priest of the church.

The kindergarten was active until 2002. The children at that time attended the Center for 8-12 hours. Since 2002, due to the fact that there were several children, the kindergarten was transferred to the house where the nuns lived, until then the construction of the house was completed. However, the number of children increased more each year and the need for a special room for the Children's Day Center and the need for additional staff arose.

Due to the interest and support of Father Dmitri Zelinsky, then the parish priest, the preparation of documents began in 2010 and a project was written to build an attic for the kindergarten. Thanks to Caritas Luxembourg sponsors, until 2012, the Kindergarten moved to a new attic room, adapted to offer high quality services to children, with new furniture and excellent conditions for children.

Since 2012, the standards of preschool education have been adapted and the Children's Center has started to function as a full-fledged institution next to St. Martha's Parish. In 2014, the Center was visited by 32 children, this being the largest number of children in the history of "Soare" kindergarten.

In 2014, at the initiative of the parish, a request was sent to the public authorities in Camenca district, to organize a public kindergarten in the village, as the Parish kindergarten could not accommodate all willing children. And in 2017, the public kindergarten in the village was opened, which could be attended by children between 3 and 6 years old.

Begining with 2018, the parish kindergarten accepts small children between 2 and 3 years old, in number of up to 15 children.

From 2020, the Center has expanded its activities, organizing courses on "Ethics and psychology of family education" and "English" for 18 children.

The children's testimonials about these lessons clearly show that they like the classes and get many benefits for themselves:

"I like to take ethics classes on family education, talk to children and share my feelings. I have accumulated a lot of knowledge for myself, especially my relationships with my peers, I learn a lot about myself and others ”(Sasha).

"I really like the language course, I became more interested in this language and it became more accessible for me" (Aliona).

We thank all the colleagues from Caritas Moldova, the sponsors of Caritas Vienna, Caritas Luxembourg, Kindersmissionswerk, for the opportunity to implement charity projects at the “Saint Martha” Parish. Nothing is left without a trace. Invested work and diligence, finances, good deeds and love will remain in every heart.

THANK YOU from all those who benefit from projects and all those who work for these projects !!!! ”

Center coordinator, Oxana Oleinic

"It is good that such training for parents is organized, because it seems to us that we know everything about raising our children, and when we receive new information, there is the possibility to look at ourselves from the outside and understand that we make many mistakes in relationships with our children. How important it is to know this when you are a young parent, when children are small, to raise them as well as possible and without hurting them, in order to prevent many mistakes. I come here to learn how to behave with my children so as not to hurt them.

After training, for a long time, I can communicate more calmly and productively with children. It's easier for me to understand them. I learned to leave all this endless housework and go to seminars for parents, because it is more important and I can offer more to my children ”.

From the grateful words of Maria, the mother of a child who attends the kindergarten in Sloboda-Рашков