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From past to present.
7. October 2005
Estonian Children’s Fund was founded on February 12, 1988, and it is the oldest organization continually protecting children in Estonia.
Creation of the Children’s Fund evoked a lot of warm feelings among the population, since now everyone had an opportunity to help the children who were in a need for support. Hefty financial contributions totaling 142,200 roubles in 1989 (for comparison: the first Foundation salary in 1989 was 230 roubles) indicated of peoples’ benevolent and supportive attitude.
A lot of specialists joined Estonian Children’s Fund who used their expertise and activity to help children with disabilities and in the institutions. Also many, later independent, nonprofit organizations stemmed from us – Disabled Children’s Parents alliances, Logopedic Association, Old City Education Collegium etc.
1988 - 1998
Foster homes and their inhabitants at the center of attention
In 1989 we started scholarships for those orphans and foster home children who will be continuing their studies after high school graduation. Back then the scholarship amount was 70 roubles per month for 18 recipients. Now that our scholarship is well known among foster home children we have 140 – 160 recipients annually. In 2003 we supported with scholarship 143 students. Scholarship amount is 300 kroons per month. We have been receiving scholarship funds mainly from Gambling Taxation Council; other supporters have been Rädda Barnen Göteborg branch, Procter&Gamble, SL Õhtuleht, Finnish children protectors, Concordia International University etc. On June 1st, 2003, we signed the Rose Contract with Priit Press ja Lilled flower store in Tallinn – 1 kroon from the sale of each rose goes to our scholarship fund.
Cooperation and Schooling
We received our first child protection and its management related know-how from Child Protection Union of Finland and its member organizations.
From 1995 to 1998 coordinated by Estonian Children’s Foundation regular work meetings of Finnish, Estonian and Karjala experts on child protection have been held. Books about the meetings have been published in Finnish and Russian.
Together with Finnish child protectors in 1995 – 1997 we organized training seminars for Russian-speaking employees of foster homes. The participants listened to the reports, established personal contacts and just rested at Lohusalu (learning center near Tallinn) seminars.
SEMINARS’ SUBJECTS:
I “Foster homes as an alternative to a family. Alternatives to a foster home.”
II “Daily work and the main idea of a foster home.”
III ”The youth with special care needs. “
IV “A child and drugs.”
V “Child protection projects in Estonia and Finland.”
VI “Step family”
Collaborating with Tallinn Pedagogical University in 1996 – 1998 we provided training in three institutions: Tallinn Kopli Foster Home, Tallinn Mustamäe Foster Home for Small Children and Tallinn Foster Home for Small Children, where the whole staff, from cook to principal, gained teaching and additional knowledge. The training was conducted in Russian.
In 1997 together with Finnish Child Protection Union we trained Narva child protection, social services, police and medical workers, a real aftercare team for institution children who are starting their independent lives. The project was funded by PHARE. Training was conducted in Russian.
Naturally, in the history of our organization there was also a period when we dispensed humanitarian aid. Every day our office space (which was temporarily converted into a warehouse of second hand clothing, shoes, toys, and even baby formula) provided help for nearly a hundred families. We helped thousands of families with children because the stores were empty and everyone was equally poor– those were yeas 1990 – 1995. In 1994 we started a very necessary project “Family support service for families with small children”, which goals were to:
prevent children’s and parents alienation;
prevent families from getting into irreversible crisis;
prevent children from getting into shelter- and foster homes.
The project lasted until 1998 in six counties, and during the time we helped parents to manage their roles as Moms and Dads. Only giving money to a family won’t help make children’s situation in the family any better. It is necessary to work with parents in their own homes (to teach them to budget their time and money, to notice their children, to direct parents attention to the needs of the children at different ages, also to cook, to encourage parents and children to work together etc.). Family assistant worked in a family from a couple of weeks to a few months. Family assistants were the women with grown-up children. For example, in 1996 family assistants worked in 27 families with the total of 101 kids. In 1997 family assistants worked in 61 families with 215 kids altogether.
In 1994 we established ties with Hungarian child protectors and their protégés. Childcare home kids from Budapest have had a vacation in Hiiumaa, and kids from large families of Hiiumaa have visited Budapest. The same year we organized Also Belatelep childcare home young graphic artists’ show at Kullo Children Art Gallery in Tallinn. Later the Show traveled to Narva and Jõhvi. Kids from Jõhvi Children’s Art School had their art show up in Baja, Hungary. Almost ten years later, in June, 2003, Estonian Children’s Foundation managed to bring to Kullo Children Art Gallery one more show. Narmina Valijeva, a thirteen-year-old prodigy from Azerbaijan, came all the way from Baku with her 75 brimming with fantasy artworks to Tallinn to open the show and to meet art lovers.
In the year 1995 we started training first Estonian supervisors. Achim Fritzsche from Germany was the instructor for the project “childcare Home’s Supervision, Job Counseling Training”, the project was funded by Social Services Ministry. There were 25 participants in the training.
1998 – 2003 Main focus on the home child and foster home child.
Information campaign targeting Moms and Dads.
In February of 1999 all-Estonian media campaign “I Have Time. Time for My Child.” There were essay competitions, theme broadcasts, in the biggest cities of Estonia posters encouraging parents to dedicate more time for their kids were displayed.
In the essays for the media campaign “I Have Time. Time for My Child.” children wrote they’d like to spend more time with their fathers. But the fathers are at work or they’re not there at all. So in the campaign “Child Needs Father!” of 2003 we made child’s desires and rights audible.
On June 1st, 1999, at the City Hall Square we held aftermath campaign”Child Won’t Grow Up Alone”.
Project “Pathfinders”
Project “Pathfinders” started in 1998; first project leader was Holly Rothrock, USA, who holds Master’s Degree in Social Works. Back then the U.S. Embassy and Danish Royal Embassy funded the project. “Pathfinders” is a follow-up project that started at Sikupilli High School, a year later we continued at Estonian-speaking Sikupilli High School and Russian-speaking Pae Gymnasium. Next two years we held the project at Kalamaja Elementary School, in 2002/2003 Pathfinders went to Tallinn United Gymnasium.
“Pathfinders” are meant for 15-25 5th through 9th grade students, who are at danger to get into a risk group - becoming homeless, shunning school work, bad relations with parents and peers, low academic achievement, prostitution, criminal activity, alcohol and drugs. At the same time the project is indirectly targeting teachers and parents, whose influence on the 11-15 years old students is very big.
“Pathfinders” most important goal is to prevent and /or change pupils’ negative behavior, also put in the picture the importance of education for the youth and improve their self-esteem, which in turn prevents negative behavior patterns to occur. To achieve all these objectives we use individual and group techniques.
“Pathfinders” meet once a week after school for approximately an hour, mainly in school building, and occasionally outside of it. Group visits to various exciting places are interchanging with discussions, social theaters etc. University students majoring in social work or psychology mentor pupils.
At our meetings we have discussed and played situation games about following subjects: how to say “NO” to drugs, reaching compromises, productive debate, empathy and sympathy, crimes and punishments, prejudices, friendship, the need to voice one’s own opinion, listening, helping, memory, relations between kids and parents, philanthropy, smoking, AIDS, studying, conflict resolution, feelings and their expression etc. We have been actively using elements of drawing, social theater, fantasizing and of any other creative activity.
We have visited AIDS Prevention Center, almost all of Tallinn museums, churches, the Senate, Tagala battalion, Estonian National Library, prison, monastery and other places where one can learn something interesting. Also, depending on the season we have been skating, walking in the Old City, climbing mountains, playing ball, and having picnics in the park.
According to young project participants, various role-plays and social games add a lot of courage to their self-expression:
• I liked to voice my opinion and listen to criticisms;
• I understand better, everyone is open;
• I think about some things more than I used to, and I understand better;
• This project makes kids think, because they don’t teach it at school.
The project, lasting from fall till spring, ends annually with the hiking trip, which for city school kids has traditionally been a bit to extreme – the trip takes place in the forest and/or in the swamp, where kids camp and hike (bow and arrow shooting, paddling the canoe, horseback riding, swimming, team games generally), all the food is prepared on the campfire and independently (thus one has to learn to use the available materials). Physical activities, healthy food, considering others in new environment, unexpected situations and finding solutions to them – these are the trip characteristic words.
Among the successes of the project one can also mention that several project participants have later chosen to continue their studies majoring in working with the youth. Also several young people had invited their friends to the Pathfinders meetings, which undoubtedly is recognition to the project staff. Project manager is Tuuli Elstrok.
Project “A start into the life – mentoring program for foster home children.”
People who grew up among Mom – Dad, relatives, acquaintances, neighbors, family friends, friends of the friends, are more self-assured, capable, and cheerful than the ones lacking various friendship connections. The circle of friends of a foster home child consists mainly of the staff members and his or her own brothers and sisters residing at the same foster home, and of the like boys and girls. The absence of a good fellowship is one of the difficulties of integration of a child into the society.
Since 2002 Estonian Children Foundation has started searching for good-hearted people to mentor Tallinn Foster Home Kopli Center children. The mentor is a self-sufficient and good-hearted adult who has time and desire to present his or her lifestyle, interests, hobbies, discuss world problems with a foster home child, in other words, widen the child’s worldview.
Those who have been searching for sponsors know that getting money from people for any purpose isn’t simple. To find good and sensible people willing to share their meager spare time is even more difficult.
We have found very nice people, who are now very content because they made the decision to become mentors. It is actually very pleasant to share your experience. If you’re able to make someone happy it also makes you happy. How do you find a mentor?
Project manager’s contacts and then their contacts. We have also been going office to office in bigger companies, and anytime we present Children Foundation we also mention the subject of mentoring.
Naturally, not everyone can become a mentor. We give a tour of the foster home to a mentor candidate, and then project manager and principal talk with the candidate, and only then the decision is made.
There are rules and regulations concerning relations between mentor and foster home occupant. For example, presents for an occupant are not advisable, and, as a rule, he or she is not invited to mentor’s home. There are some rules also for an occupant, like one has to be on time for an appointment, one is not begging for presents, etc. Mentors get together on a regular basis to exchange experiences and get guidance. There are scientists, sales managers, and even former foster home residents among the mentors. Project is open for people of good will. .
Project manager Sirje Grossmann- Loot
Project “Support Group for Hyperactive Kids Parents”.
Project “Support Group for Hyperactive Kids Parents” is meant for parents and teachers of kids with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder): working – continuing – growing project that started in the fall of 2001 in Tallinn. By now the support groups are also established in Tartu, Pärnu, Haapsalu, Jõhvi, Võru and Hiiumaa. Since 2001 more than 300 people have taken part in the support group work.
The goal of the project is to empower parents, to keep them as parents in “working order”, to get them out of depression and low moods, so they could be more effective and capable to deal with their children. Since a very big part of the day a hyperactive child spends in foster home/school, the aim of the support group is also helping school and foster home teachers to understand a child, have everything under control and develop cooperation with the home.
Estonia psychiatrists Dr. Ellu Eik, Dr. Aivar Päären ja Dr. Lydia Laulik hold up the work of the support group as the sole possible place of emotional support and strength replenishment. Psychiatrists refer parents to our support groups, and we work very closely.
It’s been written that hyperactive children have a danger of becoming drug addicts or young criminals if they just don’t get enough attention and support from their teachers and parents. Teachers also need to be updated on ADD – according to scientific research there are one to three hyperactive kid in each class. The teachers participating in the support group works are very much satisfied by the fact that parents start getting cognizant of problems of ADD children and want to cooperate with the teachers.
A teacher from Pärnu: I can deal with one ADD child in my class, also with two, because the peaceful conduct of the rest of the class becomes contagious so the disrupters also calm down. If there are more of them then the attention is not enough and studying doesn’t go smoothly. Putting all the ADD kids into one class is out of question. Their agitation, aggressiveness, itching gets picked up even by the kids who are concentrated at the moment. It is good for ADD children if their parents are taught how to deal with them, and there is an assistant teacher at school helping slow learners.
Support groups get together once a month on Saturday, the meetings last about 3.5 – 4 hours where they talk about what happened, tips on how to deal with kids at school, home and other environments, share new information, new book releases, info from psychiatrists and other specialists, exchange information about various medicines and treatments, keeping close contacts with the media (every meeting is advertised in the newspapers and on the radio), and trying the ADD subject get more media attention. Estonian Children’s Foundation is helping those interested in ADD also by sharing various materials via e-mail and a regular snail mail, one can get information also from our newsletter. At the initiative of parents taking part in support groups, in 2002 an ADD support group Website was set up. It is very important to have a cozy and safe atmosphere during the support group meetings enabling parents to talk openly about their problems with their hyperactive kids, about the relations between the kid and other family members, and about their own feelings. Our experience shows enjoyable and trusting environment starts at the third or fourth meeting that is indicated by humorous events about raising kids and very candid statements.
The positive result of the project in our opinion is that parents don’t give up their children and are able to notice better their behavior and relate to them accordingly.
Project manager Tuuli Elstrok.
Information campaign „Child Needs Father“
April 28th through May 4th , 2003
Why the Campaign? Estonian Children’s Foundation organized in 1999 the campaign “I Have Time. Time for My Child” and essay competitions where 50% of children taking part in the competition wrote they’re missing their Dads. Many children don’t have a father, fathers have little time for their kids, fathers are often tired, fathers don’t know what to do together with their kids, and it was mentioned that fathers are violent. However, a child needs parents, both Mom and Dad, they are his/her development resource. Children want more time with their own father, whose attention is especially missed. Children’s words are supported by statistics. In 2001 there were 5647 marriages and 4312 divorces in Estonia. At the same time 3700 children were left to live only with one parent. As of March 31, 2000, there were 77 392 single Mom families with kids, and 8194 single Dad families, also with kids. Every child has the right to be loved by his/her parents and spend time with father and mother. Unfortunately parents are not ready to dedicate themselves to their children as much as the children want and need. Both parents are important to the child, however it is mother’s importance in the life of a child that they usually speak about, and forget about father who has also a special and irreplaceable role in raising children. We remind fathers about it throughout the campaign.
We based the campaign on Children’s Rights Convention which was adopted for Estonia 1991, and by which Estonia pledged to:
„…apply all efforts to ensure the recognition of the principle that both parents are mutually responsible for raising and developing the child. Parents, or in some cases legal guardians, bear the primary burden of responsibility for raising and developing the child. Child’s interests have to be the center of their attention.“
(Article 18)
„…respect the responsibility of parents / -- /, rights and obligations to ensure the child’s appropriate direction and instruction, which are in accordance with his/her developing abilities …“
(Article 5)
„…apply all legislative, administrative, social and educational means to protect the child from neglect or abuse when the child is within his/her parents, legal guardian or someone else’s care who takes care of another child. “
(Article 19)
Information campaign “Child Needs Father” aimed to amplify children’s needs and desires, and based on that to protect their right to have both parents. Subgoals of the campaign were:
• To encourage fathers to socialize with their children, including the ones not living together with their kids.
• Putting family and child in the first place in the Estonians value system.
In 2002 because of the European Commission Delegation funding we were finally able to hold the campaign.
Essay and poster competition.
At the end of 2002 we organized essay and poster competition. We invited every schoolchild to draw and write about everything connected with fathers. In total we received 432 posters and 593 essays from 65 different schools.
Media Campaign
Based on children’s ideas and wishes we started media campaign with slogan “Child Needs Father – Find Time and Love”. For the purpose of the campaign we made two TV-clips, two radio-clips, a large number of posters which were up in the biggest cities of Estonia. The climax of the campaign was April 28th through May 4th, when various media channels transmitted our message that a child needs father. At the same time several different books on the same theme were published, all the writings approached the fathers theme at a different angle, like what is father’s role in the life of a child, why is it important for a man to be a father, how to compensate for father’s absence, how to communicate with children after divorce, etc.
Campaign awareness survey was conducted by TNS Emor. 419 people between the ages 15-54 were asked whether they noticed outdoor media campaign. The results of survey were very good:
campaign was noticed by 54,3% of males and 65,4% of females. Awareness by regions was highest in Tallinn- 64, 7% and then Järva-, Harju- and Raplamaa- 55, 8%.
Estonian Children’s Fund continues doing work in developing child protection and knowingly shaping a child friendly society.
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good, they know enough and know how to deal with these kids
