About the program
History of the Family Center
Diema’s Dream Family Center was founded in 2006, as a Charity program to provide individual psychological, pedagogical and social assistance to families raising children with disabilities. From the moment of launching the Program, our Family Center’s primary staff had gained the positive experience of working in Moscow Orphanage #8 of Social Care system. This work helped us to realize that all the children are capable of learning, if the teaching purposes and correct methods are defined. Our efforts to establish the Family Center were supported by members of Psychology of Special Needs and Oligophrenopedagogy Department of Moscow Institute of Open Education.
Basis of the Program
We opened our center because the state rehabilitation system in Russia did not provide any rehabilitation programs for the children with deep and complex development disabilities.
The fact that the Program is relevant and necessary is proved by following information:
- The problems of the children with deep and complex development disabilities are poorly described in scientific literature and there is no research on the subject nor proper methods. There are not any rehabilitation Centers nor educational institutions for such children and their families.
- The programs for the children with less complex disabilities exist but the programs are limited. There are not enough rehabilitation Centers or non-governmental organizations rendering social assistance in this field to satisfy all such children and their families’ needs.
- The actual specialization of the Centers limits the access to rehabilitation services for children with complex disabilities. Thus a child being out of the special category of a Center has no qualified help.
- Quality of the services provided in governmental Centers depends on the establishment’s list of employees which can not satisfy the requirements of the children with complex disabilities. The number of qualified specialists is very small and not enough..
- Our experience in working with children in this group has convinced us of the necessity to include the child’s family into rehabilitation process, which is not paid enough attention to in other Centers and organizations. “Diema’s Dream” Foundation became a unique, relevant act with the great prospects to develop.
According to Department of Social Protection for the Public of Moscow “the Departments of Social Rehabilitation of Disabled Children in the Social Rehabilitation Centers and Family Centerswhich are present in almost every Moscow administrative district, welcome 3-18 years old children who have no need of additional aid and self-service limitations”. The available municipal Family Centers assist children with light disabilities only, seriously disabled children cannot receive help there. Here is the question: “Where should these children with the most serious disabilities of development go?
The problems which the Family Center Program strives solve
The family that finds itself into a hard life situation most often does not get any support or assistance and, consequently, they consider the abdication as the only solution for the well being of their child.
Under changing conditions of the Russian social policy in the area of children’s rights protection, the risk of a social orphanage for such children still remains extremely high. Families with a child who has special needs are forced to struggle against everyday social problems that lead to social isolation.
Target group (who we help)
- Children from two years of age to teenagers, who have complex psychophysical disturbances of development, and who are in need of consultations, diagnostics, rehabilitation and support for adapting in society.
- Families with disabled children who are in need of social, psychological, legal support and help.
- Children with disturbances of development, which appeared due to social conditions.
Specialists
The following specialists provide consultations and sessions in our Family Center:
· Art-therapy teacher
· Teacher of art
· Gymnastics instructor
· Logopedist
· Speech Pathologist
· Psychologist
· Kinesitherapy specialist
· Families’ assistant
We recruit around 15 specialists in different fields to provide complex and highly-qualified aid to these children and their families. Most of the families that visit our Family Center in search of help are in a very bad financial position, so we provide the sessions free of charge. Thist is why we need Your help!
The way the Family Center works
First, you can call us at +7 (495) 340 01 00. Our family assistant or the supervisor of the Program will speak with you. Then, an appointment will be scheduled for a Primary reception. The Primary reception is a consult diagnostic meeting where some of the Family Center specialists examine the child and discusses a proposed therapy schedule with the parents. The next step is for the specialists to prepare an Individual Program of a Child’s Development (IPCD). In some cases, it is enough to conduct the Primary reception of a child. After placing IPCD on the time-table of classes, the parents sign a Contract and we begin the sessions.