Their Second Home

The therapy and counseling centers are open daily during after-school hours. Here, at their second home, children at risk aged 6-12 are cared for from the moment they arrive. The youngsters receive counseling and tutorial assistance as well as nourishing meals. They leave the centers in the evening hours, content and ready for bed. Family members, too, are counseled and guided as to their role vis-a-vis the child. Herein lies a convenient solution to childcare outside the home without resorting to foster care or dormitories.

The activities at the center are aimed at furthering and advancing every child, equipping the youngsters with correct study habits and effective means of coping with daily pressure. Moreover, the children are guided in handling human interaction, on a social level and within the family context. The programs are designed in accordance with each child’s individual needs, emotional and physical. Special emphasis is placed on personal hygiene and appropriate attire.

Upon arrival at the center, the children receive a nutritious hot lunch followed by tutorial guidance and preparation for school exams. They are assisted in organizing their school bags and then participate in a host of enrichment activities. They bathe and eat a light supper prior to going home.

The professional, dedicated staff consists of counselors and tutors, who are guided and monitored by psychologists, education counselors and social workers. Ongoing contact is maintained with every child’s school authorities as a means of following up on progress or possible regression. Likewise, contact is made with the children’s families in order to further family harmony.

One of the centers deals predominantly with severe behavioral problems. The work with the children and their parents necessitates considerable funding as well as increased staffing. Budgeting has been revised accordingly.