ESC: "Kiriku" - after school care for children in Vienna

Our non profit organisation is providing after school day care for children from 6 to 10 years old (elementary school). Our privately organised association was founded as a social project, out of the desperate need for qualified after school care. The after school care facilities provided by public service did not meet the pedagogic ideals and emotional expectations we try to achieve for the care of our children. Furthermore there is no sufficient quantity of available day care places. For that reason an ambitious group of parents decided to start our group. Most of the parents have an intensive experience with longstanding children’s groups in Vienna, based on free learning, and we see our organisation as the logic consequence and continuation of this outstanding way of care giving for small children. Our philosophy is to support and accept each child as an individual within a community of children having equal rights. Each child should be encouraged to develop self-consciousness and self-confidence in order to take independent decisions while showing consideration for the other children in the group. Our goals are: •Support and develop creativity with our children – they are our future •Let children live their fantasy and their own ideas – we do not want to produce conformist members for our society •Provide them with safe surroundings to be able to express their own opinions and learn to become socially responsible – differences are important and it is important to learn how to deal with human differences •Stimulate curiosity and open their minds for new and different cultures – we are a small country within a big and united Europe •Provide the opportunity to learn languages – which is the key to understand other people and their culture