World Vision’s Day Care Centre Supports Vulnerable parents

World Vision established a Day Care Centre for Vulnerable Infants in order to support vulnerable children and their mothers though the Family Strengthening and Prevention service, in 2011.

This service provides a range of support which ensures highly vulnerable parents have the skills and resources necessary to care for their young children and prevent them from entering the state care system.

The provision of a Day Care Centre for infants from 0-3 is the only service of this type in Georgia. The Centre allows single parents who lack extended family support to leave infants in quality care while they pursue income-generating activities.

Vulnerable parents, especially young mothers, are simultaneously provided with assistance in microenterprise development, vocational trainings, and tailored job placement opportunities.

Additional special medical and psychological services are provided where necessary. 162 parents and 230 children have benefitted from these services. Parents are equipped to care, protect and better provide for their children.

Local Partners/Stakeholders are the Agency of Social Services under the Ministry of Labour Health and Social Affairs, the Mayor’s Office, Local and International NGOs, and local business representatives.

All project beneficiaries are referred by state social workers; all cases are assessed individually, and relevant intervention plans are elaborated by the Project Social Worker in close collaboration with state social workers according to the beneficiary’s needs and abilities. The particular beneficiary could be involved in one or more project services at the same time. All served cases are supervised and monitored on a regular basis.

Project Manager at World Vision, Marina Menteshashvili, spoke to Georgia Today, explaining that the project goal is to contribute to the ongoing state Child Welfare System Reform through development of alternative family support services and Child Protection policies.

“This is a unique service in the country. Kindergartens are closed to children under the age of two. However, we aim to change this policy in future. Right now we have only one center, which is located in public kindergarten #107. When we started in 2011, all the expenses were covered by us but since, the Mayor’s Office has been covering the expenses. Since we have a huge demand from other regions, we are working to somehow open at least one new center soon,” Menteshashvili told us.

According to Menteshashvili, the center was renovated and fully equipped by World Vision Georgia and is currently functioning smoothly as well as being fully occupied, with children receiving quality supplies and services through the involvement of qualified and trained staff.

Beneficiary of the project, Nino Mokhevishvili, said that, with the support of World Vision, her family now has an income.

“Not only have they taken care of our baby by giving us the opportunity to leave her at their center from 9am to 9pm, but they also gave us chance to learn something. For example, my husband learned how to cook and now works for a big restaurant. I also used World Vision’s service and had a therapy course with their psychologist. It is very hard to leave my baby girl for a whole day, but I am doing it for her future welfare,” said Mokhevishvili.

Tatia Megeneishvili