Saturday, April 21, 2007
PROJECT ANNOUNCEMENT: DOW opens Drop-In Center for Street and At-Risk Children and Youth in Chernihiv, Ukraine
In order to address the growing crisis of street and at-risk children and youth in Ukraine, Doctors of the World – USA has recently opened a Drop in Center for Street in At-Risk Youth (DIC) in the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv.
Chernihiv, Ukraine - Like many countries of the former Soviet Union, the changing social and economic realities of modern Ukraine have had profound effects on the most vulnerable within society. In recent years, Ukraine has seen a disturbing rise in the number of street and at-risk children and youth, with the northern region of Chernihiv particularly affected by the crisis. Recent estimates put the number of children and youth living in unstable and unhealthy environments or on the streets of Chernihiv as high as 100,000 – a 17% increase since 2000.
Employing a multi-disciplinary case-management team of psychologists, social and outreach workers, and tutors, the DIC will provide a safe space for children and youth to receive services such as crisis intervention, acute medical and mental health care, showers, and a warm meal. Over time, the relationships formed between the youth and DIC staff create the necessary trust that can in turn enable more complex interventions to assist clients as they transition to a long-term shelter, re-integration with their family, placement with a foster family, or an independent living situation. In addition, the DIC will provide support to children and families at-risk of breaking up so that they can stay together over the long run.
“Once a child begins to identify the center as a safe place, we can provide more advanced services,” says DOW Program Manager Allison Lynch, “which include case management, psychological counseling, vocational counseling, legal support, computer education, and tutoring, among others.”
Adapting a proven model. The DIC in Chernihiv replicates a project developed by DOW in St. Petersburg, Russia. Since its inception, the St. Petersburg DIC has served thousands of youth. In a unique partnership with the local government, a second DIC was opened in 2005 with city support and staffing.
A unique partnership to enable sustainability, maximize impact, and facilitate replication. The Chernihiv DIC is the product of a partnership between DOW, local non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and local government, including the Ministry of Ukraine for Family, Children and Sports, the Adolescent Service of the Chernihiv Regional State Administration, Desnyansky District Council in Chernihiv City, and numerous medical institutions and local NGOs. After successful adaptation and replication of the DIC model in Chernihiv, comprehensive DIC methodology will be made available to these and other Ukrainian partners for further replication throughout the region and country.
“The involvement of our local partners is essential,” says Thomas Dougherty, DOW Executive Director. “It provides a clear and open channel for building the local government’s capacity to address the growing problem.”
Lynch agrees. “We aren’t looking at a quick-fix here. Street and at-risk children and youth face a vast array of challenges and problems. The DIC addresses many of these, but also requires the long-term involvement of our partners, including medical centers, shelters, local NGOs and local authorities over the long run.”
The DOW-administered program will serve hundreds of children and provide thousands of visits over the next two years. It also seeks to circulate manuals describing the DIC’s activities to raise public awareness, increase overall access to care and support in the Chernihiv region, and strengthen the Ukrainian government’s ability to combat child homelessness in other parts of the country.
Doctors of the World – USA in Ukraine. Since 2005, DOW has been addressing the complex social and health problems facing marginalized and at-risk groups in Ukraine. In addition to street and at-risk children and youth initiatives, DOW and its local partners have established the MAMA+ Project for the Prevention of Abandonment of Children Born to HIV+ Mothers at three locations in Ukraine.
The crisis of at-risk children and youth can be solved. Through long-term commitment, and through the support of partners around the world, DOW works to find long-term solutions to address the health and human rights needs of the most vulnerable. We are grateful for the generosity of our supporters, who make all of our programs possible.