The goal of the Children’s Aid Centre (at ul. Grabiszyńska 35-39) is to help the children who experienced any kind of violence – in the family or from peers. The parents who support their child in overcoming its trauma will also receive help.
‘Usually it is organisations that request the city authorities to establish a place like the Children’s Aid Centre. In Wroclaw, it was the other way around – the city authorities asked the Dajemy Dzieciom Siłę [We Give Strength to Children] Foundation for support in the diagnosed need for this type of specialist centre,>>'<< says Monika Sajkowska, PhD, the president of the Dajemy Dzieciom Siłę [We Give Strength to Children] Foundation.
The uniqueness of the Centre lies in the fact that a child will have access not only to support from child therapists, psychologists or psychiatrists, but also from paediatricians or lawyers. The facility contains also an interview room for children undergoing the legal procedure.
‘Our goal was to help a child recover from traumatic experiences in one place. The Centre is one of the city’s activities under the family violence prevention program. Wroclaw spends 5 million PLN per annum for this purpose,’ says Joanna Nyczak, Head of the Department of Health and Social Affairs PLAN GRY.
According to surveys of the Dajemy Dzieciom Siłę Foundation, every third child experiences some kind of violence. Hardly ever do children ask for help themselves. Therefore, institutions (the police, the city guard, teachers) play a huge role in this respect.
'A psychologist will not always notice what is going on in the school environment. This is what teachers see. A social worker will pay attention to some other aspects of functioning of the child. Interdisciplinariness gives better results,’ says Małgorzata Makarczuk-Kłos, the founder of the Non Licet Foundation.
Children and their parents will come for appointments to the Centre. Every child will have to undergo a qualification procedure, and an extensive interview will be conducted with its parent. On this basis, necessary actions will be specified.
‘Our help will depend on the problems the child struggles with and on the child’s condition. But the most important thing is to establish a relationship so that the child would believe that we really want to help it,’ says Monika Siudzińska, a psychotherapist.
Only after specifying the needs will the team prepare a therapy plan. Sometimes a few hours spread in time will do, and sometimes a longer therapy is necessary.
