ESC: Supporting Children with Disabilities – ESC Volunteering at SA Perekodu in Viljandi, Estonia

Foundation Perekodu (Perekodu SA) is an institution with different departments ans services for children and young people in Viljandi county. We may also provide the same services for clients outside the Viljandi county if necessary and if we have capacity. We offer following services, such as: childcare service, (child)support service, rehabilitation service, substitution service, aftercare service. We combine a nursery and school for severe mental/physical disability children for about 36 children ages between 1,5 and 18,5 years. *Child care service is for severe and profound disability children. This service we offer after school time for about 20 children. *(Child)support service is for disabled children who need one-to-one service to support children in their everyday activities. *Rehabilitation center serves during one year ab 115 children. In this team are working psychologist, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, creative therapist, social workers, special educator, speech therapist. *For substitution service we do have 6 family homes and 1 apartment for orphanage and for the children with special needs. In substitute families there are 45 children (among them 33 disabled children) ages between 0 to 19. In one family can live 4-8 children. Each family has their own educators. Most of the children go to school and kindergarten during the daytime. During their fee time many children go to hobby schools. We would like to give them possibility to experience similar lifestyle as their contemporaries in biological families. Regular activities in Perekodu SA are aimed to provide everyday care and counselling, helping to raise children´s and young people awareness of themselves. It is run in cooperation with the specialists such as therapists, psychiatrists, social workers and youth-police. *Aftercare service is for studying youngsters up to 25 years. Perekodu SA has hosted international volunteers since 2005 from many different countries. So we have a long time experience in accepting long-term volunteers and we really appreciate these experiences. We see it beneficiary for the children, for stuff and the volunteers themselves. We are happy and satisfied to cooperate already many years with coordinating organization: NGO Noortevahetuse Arengu Ühing EstYES e-mail: [email protected] phone: +372 601 3098