How can we effectively help children from children’s homes?

Perhaps you are thinking about the fact that you would like to help a child from a children’s home, but you are not sure how?

Why not try with the help of the project LET’S GIVE CHILDREN A CHANCE!

 Our projects are all intertwined and all compliment each other. Together they provide a complete aid package aimed at children growing up in children’s homes, mostly for those in their last years of living in the home, or after leaving it. A child can be simultaneously involved in more than one of our projects. The different projects were prepared in conjunction with specialists, representatives of children’s homes and even with young people who have themselves experienced life in a children’s home.

With the help of our projects we support children during their studies ( a scholarship program ), we provide them with material help in the form of basic household furnishings after leaving the home ( Starter pack ), we help them find contact with persons outside of the children’s home ( host care ), we provide them with financial support after leaving the children’s home ( “Support me…”), we fulfil the wishes of the children in relation to their studies, how to spend their free time meaningfully, or with correcting a health issue or handicap which is not covered by health insurance ( “ I wish for…”) and we offer help with finding employment and accommodation after leaving the children’s home.

And with all this we need your help!

 We make it possible for individuals or families to join any one of our projects and to choose personally which child they would like to support who is at present living in a children’s home in any part of the Czech Republic. Everyone can offer the type of help that is for them the most acceptable, both from the personal and financial point of view. Within the framework of our projects it is possible to support a child with a one-off financial donation of 100 crowns and higher, long-term financial support in the form of a monthly savings account or in the form of personal contact with a child.

 Essentially, we are talking about “ Adoption at a distance within the Czech Republic “, letting people know that the aid is aimed at children living in the Czech Republic who are, and will continue to be, part of our society and who need are our help just as much as children in developing countries.

Starting into their independent lives is an extremely complicated time for these young people and is a real life test. It is necessary to work with these children and prepare them for their independence already during the time that they are living in the children’s home. Children who are growing up in a children’s home have had a childhood that definitely cannot be considered as worry-free and have still ahead of them a very uncertain future. At the time of leaving the children’s home they are officially considered to be adults, but they are, in fact, still children. They have no solid foundation to their lives, they have no experience or example of a functioning family life, they have nowhere to go, they only have themselves to rely upon. According to the law, they can receive a maximum amount of 15 000 crowns for their new beginning! Can you imagine your children in their situation?

 Each project in LET’S GIVE CHILDREN A CHANCE o.p.s. has it’s own bank account. Each child has been given their own individual number within each project. All funds that are sent to the individual accounts of each project, using the individual number of a particular child, will be 100% spent only on the support of that particular child.

LET’S GIVE CHILDREN A CHANCE guarantees the sensible use of all the financial savings. The coordinators of each project are in daily contact with the management of the children’s homes and with the children involved in our projects.

 The general view of how to help children in the homes is that you should donate toys and clothing that our own children have grown out of. The donor is then often surprised that their gift is not greeted with the thanks they expected. Why is this? Children, living in a children’s home in the Czech Republic, generally are not suffering from a lack of such items. You could say, that from the material point of view, they are well provided for. The situation is of course different in each of the homes. This of course does not mean that these children don’t need our help! But it is necessary to aim the help at the areas that that particular children’s home does not either have the power or the resources to improve themselves. The best is to inform yourself beforehand and to contact directly either a particular children’s home or any other non-profit organisation and to ask what form of help is needed.

 A good tip: If you want to help someone effectively there is no better way than to ask them directly what they really need, or to turn to an organisation that targets aid at groups that they wish to support.

Unasked for help generally doesn’t bring a favourable result for either side. The receiver is not, in fact, helped and the donor will be disappointed that he has not received the expected appreciation for his help.

 The projects of LETˇS GIVE CHILDREN A CHANCE o.p.s in brief

 “ Support me …” or adoption “up close”

It involves setting up a savings account that will provide financial support for the child when they leave the children’s home. The project is recommended for children who have either minimal or no contact with their biological family and who have very little chance of being placed in a long-term foster care.

 “ Find me..”  

Help in the form of contact with a child ( letters, visits to the children’s home, host care ). The project is recommended for all children who have an interest in having contact with someone from the “outside “. It is a good as an addition to the financial support of a child, or as a separate form of help.

 “ I wish ….”

By this we mean the one-off financial support of a child when you donate towards the fulfilling of one of his wishes, approved by us. It must be in some way connected with either his studies, with preparing for his future career or with ways to spend free time ( sports equipment, musical instruments, games that develop the imagination of the younger children etc.). This includes even medical aids and equipment that is not covered by the health insurance policy (such as glasses, contact lenses, braces, physiotherapy etc.).

 “Help me start in life..”

Helping children as they finally leave the children’s home. This can be either one-off support perhaps in the form of basic household equipment (a starter pack ) or long-term support ( aimed at helping find employment and/or accommodation in cooperation with the child ).

 You can find more information about the individual projects in the link “Projects “.