Bucharest City Hall, through the General Directorate of Social Assistance of the City of Bucharest (DGASMB), and UNICEF in Romania inaugurated on Thursday a new unit of integrated social services, intended for vulnerable children in the Capital.
The Respiro Center for disabled children and their families “Magic Rainbow” will provide free care, supervision, temporary accommodation, counseling, socialization and play, empowerment and rehabilitation, medical assistance, information, evaluation, meal services for disabled children.
The services offered at the “Magic Rainbow” Respiro Center also benefit the parents or legal representatives of the children, the center being designed as a viable alternative for the family, through which parents can enjoy a break necessary for their own physical and mental recovery, so beneficial for continuing the care of children with disabilities, as well as for solving medical or social emergencies.
The free activities of care, education, counseling, empowerment and rehabilitation can be granted for a beneficiary for a maximum period of 10 working days per year, 120 children can benefit from the center’s services annually.
“Children with disabilities and their families need effective and quality support within the community. The Respiro Curcubeul Magic Center has equipment and programs adapted to the needs of the beneficiaries, being set up to offer them a pleasant and stimulating experience. The emotional and psychological support offered to families is essential for improving well-being, and here parents and caregivers can find understanding from other people facing similar situations and valuable guidance from professionals”, said Nicușor Dan, Mayor General of the Municipality of Bucharest .
“For parents who care for a child with disabilities, a respiro center, on the model of the one that opens its doors to beneficiaries today, is a breath of fresh air. Caring for a child with a disability puts a lot of pressure on parents and the family, and the lack of adequate services means more resources consumed than for parents with typical children, more energy required and health problems that can arise from exhaustion. Through this project, we will be able to provide support to those in difficulty”, said Cosmina Simiean, Director General of DGASMB.
The center has generous interior spaces (recreation and socializing room, bedrooms, rooms for physical and mental recovery, dining room, etc.), equipped with furniture and equipment suitable for carrying out various types of activities with children, as well as an outdoor courtyard for outdoor recreational activities.
“The sooner children with disabilities get the services they need, close to them, in the community, the better. Often, however, they are not diagnosed in time and do not have access to the necessary services. Families need support to cope with higher living and care costs and to recover lost income-earning opportunities. The Convention on the Rights of the Child gives all children the same rights, regardless of ability. We thank our partners for the work we do together, as well as the Swiss Government, which supported this project, through the Rapid Response Fund”, said Anna Riatti, UNICEF Representative in Romania.