In Romania, special education is still a new concept, and this center is the only educational opportunity for children with autism.  Due to the loss of its sponsor, the center will have to close in March 2008. This project will help to keep the center open for 3 months, as well as provide funding for a full publicity campaign to attract new local sponsorship.

The community members involved with this project are the staff at the center, the families of the children, and the city council. The staff both works with the children and will help to publicize the center. The city council funds a portion of our center as part of their assistance to the NGOs and social services in Focsani. The parents also pay a small fee for their children to attend the center, and will also help us to publicize the organization. In addition, some parents volunteer at the center and assist the staff with the children. This helps them become more involved with the center, as well as learn how to work with their children.

Training Session on ABA and Autism for Parents/Professionals

This project is a priority because of how necessary the center is to the community. Education for children with special needs is a new concept in Focsani, and therefore our center is crucial to the educational development of children with autism. The 45 children who attend our center have no educational alternative if the center closes, and will instead remain at home. The center is not only beneficial for the children, but also the parents. Taking their children to school everyday like everyone else gives the parents a sense of normalcy. The organization also provides a parent support group every Friday to allow parents to collaborate and learn how to work with their children.

This will give the organization an opportunity to become more independent and self-sustaining. At present, a single sponsor, the mother of two of the children who attend the center, funds the organization. All attempts the organization has made attempts to seek outside funding have been rejected, as the sponsor’s company is well known, both in Focsani and throughout Romania. Therefore, other sponsors assume the organization is taken care of, and choose to donate elsewhere.  This will allow the center to become independent from this funding and seek alternative, more stable, assistance.