Children's village
Children's Villages are typically independent, non-governmental , social organizations that offer children in need long-term, family-oriented care. While in poorer countries there are still many real orphans, in richer countries like Austria or Germany these days it is often social orphans whose biological families cannot look after the children for various reasons (or are not allowed to take care of the children due to a court order) , and placed in a children's village through the agency of the youth welfare office . In addition to the actual childcare, Children's Villages often also offer a wide range of training opportunities and therapeutic educational therapies.
history
The children's village idea developed towards the end of the Second World War in Switzerland, Austria and Germany. After the war, children and young people urgently needed help and a home that could give them security. “This home has to look different from an anonymous orphanage,” said the Swiss philosopher and publicist Robert Corti. In 1944 he promoted a “village for suffering children from all nations” in war-torn Europe. Corti's appeal triggered a wave of helpfulness. This made it possible in 1946 to build the Pestalozzi Children's Village Trogen near St. Gallen in Switzerland and in Wahlwies in Germany on Lake Constance. Also in 1946 the first children's villages of the German Caritas Association were established. In 1947 the “Austrian Children's Village Association” was founded in Salzburg and later renamed Pro Juventute . In 1949 Hermann Gmeiner founded the SOS Children's Village Association in Imst, Austria (Tyrol). In 1952, the Dominican Sisters of Bethanien in Germany began working with the children's village.
Children's village families
In some care facilities, the children in care grow up co-educational in Kinderdorf families . Here the children live together with a couple and, if necessary, their own children in the family . In some organizations, at least one parent is expected to have had a socio-educational training (as an educator, social pedagogue, social worker, curative pedagogue or curative educator). The aim is to teach the children the security and rules of a family.
Residential groups
Children and young people live together under one roof in residential groups. As a rule, the educators do not live in the house with the children.
Residential groups are particularly suitable for children and young people who are only looked after for a short time. For some, however, the living group also becomes a home until they grow up. By living together in a residential group, social behavior should be learned, because cooking, cleaning, shopping, doing homework, games and hobbies must be organized here in a similar way to a family. Pedagogical staff and housekeeping staff support the children.
Well-known children's villages
Albert Schweitzer family works and children's villages
An Albert Schweitzer Children's Village is a non-governmental social organization that looks after children and young people who cannot grow up in their own families. Those in care live in Kinderdorf families. Of the house parents, also known as family group leaders, at least one parent has a socio-educational training (as an educator, social pedagogue, social worker, curative pedagogue or curative educator) and corresponding professional experience. Today there are over 130 Albert Schweitzer Children's Village families across Germany.
In addition, the Albert Schweitzer Children's Villages and Family Works offer residential groups, workshops for young people, day care centers, family advice centers and other outpatient services. The spectrum ranges from the children's village literally set up as a village, family work with family counseling services, as well as school social work, through youth departments in communities to various special educational Albert Schweitzer educational centers or forest kindergartens. This also includes the intensive social pedagogical individual measures (ISE) and clearing measures for children and young people on the island of Ruden (Baltic Sea).
The Albert Schweitzer Children's Villages and Family Works are organized as independent associations in twelve different federal states. The Albert-Schweitzer-Verband der Familienwerke und Kinderdörfer eV, based in Berlin, ensures that some of the children's villages are networked and cooperated accordingly.
Albert Schweitzer Children's Villages and Family Organizations are affiliated to the Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband.
Bethanien Children's and Youth Villages
The Bethanien Kinderdörfer are Catholic institutions and take in children and young people of different origins and backgrounds. The children live in children's village families and residential groups. There is also a day group offer . In addition to normal care, there are also services offered for people becoming independent, individual counseling and therapy, music and religious education, and crisis intervention. The children's villages are located in Bergisch Gladbach / Lustheide , Schwalmtal-Waldniel and Eltville-Erbach .
Further
Children Future (Rudolf Walther Foundation) Pro Juventute Children's Villages , SOS , Erich Kastner Children's Village , Pestalozzi Children and Youth Village , Vorarlberger Kinderdorf , Children's Village Malo A Mcherezo, Malawi (see local products Chiole ), children's village Little Smile, Sri Lanka (see Local article Koslanda )
