New community services center for children with disabilities in Vlora

On 19 November, we inaugurated the Community Services Center for Children with Disabilities, the first of its kind in Vlore.

This center will provide free direct and integrated services for children with disabilities such as intervention at an early stage, individual treatment and therapy, educational services, information and support; training of families of children with disabilities on how to work with children and to advocate for the inclusion of their children to education and community; capacity building of public institutions at the local level to support inclusion of children with disabilities in the school system and the community as well as to allocate sufficient resources to support services for children with disabilities. The daily capacity of the center is 15-20 children. Direct beneficiaries of this centre will be about 100 children with disabilities and 200 parent per year.

The center is set up and will function in the framework of "Community-based services for children with disabilities" which is financed by the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation and implemented by Save the Children in partnership with the local NGO 'Help the Life' and in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Welfare and Youth and the municipalities of Durres and Vlora. The main participants in the inauguration ceremony were Mrs. Bardhylka Kospiri, Deputy Minister of Social Welfare and Youth, Mr. Dritan Leli, Mayor of Vlora Municipality, Ms. Anila Meco, Director of Save the Children, Mrs. Aferdita Seiti, Director of the local NGO "Help Life", representatives of central and local social services, specialists of the field, children with disabilities and parents.