Beschrijving van de organisatie

We are international organization SOS Children’s Villages established in 1993 in Lithuania. We have are working In Vilnius, Alytus, Šiauliai and other cities. Our main activities: we prevent children from ending up alone by supporting fragile families; we provide long-term family care for lone children in SOS Children’s Villages; we have 3 Day Care Centers; we ensure children’s rights are protected wherever possible.

The SOS Children’s Village family-based child care model is formed by four basic principles: house, mother, brothers and sisters. We build families for children in need, work for children, who are orphaned, abandoned or whose families are unable to care for them, give these children the opportunity to build lasting relationships within a family, help them shape their own futures; we enable children to live according to their own culture and religion and to be active members of the community, help children to recognize and express their individual abilities, interests and talents, ensure that children receive the education and skills training they need to be successful and contributing members of society. We place a strong emphasis on the integration of the children into their surrounding environment, as well as on their exchange and contact with neighboring communities.

Young people often move out of the village into SOS Youth Facility at the age of 16 on average. Then they start a vocational training course or go on higher education. Youth house provides a home for group of teens aged 16 and above (24). With the support of qualified youth workers, the young people develop realistic perspectives for their future, learn to shoulder responsibility, and increasingly make their own decisions. They are encouraged to develop team spirit and build up contacts with relatives and friends, as well as with the relevant authorities and potential employers. The necessary educational and psychological support is made available to them, as it is in the village.

SOS Family Strengthening Program helps keep children in the care of their family. We support disadvantaged families at risk of separation by bolstering their capacity to protect and care for their children. SOS Children’s Village hopes to help families to learn look after themselves so that they can live independently in the long-term. Only in this way can we ensure that children are not left and that they grow up in their families. SOS Children’s Village is convinced that it is almost always best for children to grow up in families.

The children’s day center is created for children growing in families at social risk or in poverty. 25 children on average have an opportunity to visit our Day Care Centre every working day. Here they can do homework, play, interact, participate in group activities and attend cooking lessons. If it is necessary, children is also provided with psychological consultations and emotional expression strategy is applied.