Mr. François Fourmont, the General Manager of Dacia, was joined on Tuesday, January 31st, 2006, in Brasov, by representatives from the County Council, from the Prefect`s Office, the National Authority for Children`s Rights and the SERA Foundation upon inaugurating the family-type lodgings built for 24 children with special needs.
Dacia comes to the aid of 45 children with special needs, aged between 3 and 8, through a humanitarian action aimed at providing them with two family-type houses, foster care and reintegration in the biological family. Born in the Brasov area, these children suffer from mild and severe disabilities, facing sight, hearing and verbal communication difficulties.
The children have lived until now in Brasov, at the "Dumbrava minunata" special kindergarten, a small-sized, decrepit building, with a high degree of seismic risk. Besides, the building is currently being claimed by its former owners. This location has failed to provide adequate care-taking conditions, lacking any customized toilets, specific furniture and kitchen. The dining-room was used both for recreational purposes and for preparing the children`s food, while the care-taking and nursing personnel were completely insufficient.
Of the total of 45, 24 children with disabilities live, as of today, in two family-type houses built as per the correct standards of living (3 bedrooms, enough space for recreational activities, kitchen, toilets). The family-type houses are called "Lizuca" and "Patrocle" and they stand as an alternative to traditional placement centers. These lodgings are animated by an atmosphere closely resembling that of a genuine family. Besides the improved housing conditions, the children shall benefit by care-taking, education and socialization as per the adequate standards of child care and protection, with specialized staff available (teaching staff, caretakers and nurse).
