Urgent Accommodation for Vulnerable Mothers in Yekaterinburg is a spacious 3-room apartment, situated in one of the multi-storeyed buildings in Yekaterinburg. The apartment is meant to host 4 women with babies.
The aim of the project is to provide support to mothers in difficult life situation and thus prevent children going into baby homes and children’s homes.
Mothers in difficult life situation will be able to live in the apartment together with their children absolutely free of charge. During the time a mother stays in the apartment, she will cooperate with a professionally trained social worker and a psychologist.
Together with a mother a social worker draws up a plan for the immediate future which is to help a mother overcome her difficult life situation and consults a mother how to
– draw documents for social benefits;
– find a job;
A social worker also refers a mother for a consultation to other specialists such as a lawyer, a doctor, etc. if she needs that.
A psychologist
– provides a mother with a psychological support;
– helps her improve relations with the closest people – relatives, husband or father of her child;
If it is the first-born for a mother or she doesn’t have necessary knowledge and skills to properly take care of a child, specialists will help her with that as well.
It is important to note that the mother is not a passive recipient of the services; she actively takes part in solving her own problems, she shows her personal interest and follows recommendations of the specialists. All this is done to help a mother become self-confident again and – in the long run – to give her a real opportunity to become independent.
At the moment 2 expectant mothers and 1 mother with a child of 24 months old live in the Department for Vulnerable Mothers in Yekaterinburg. Here you can read what the mothers who lived in the Department say about it.
… It all started with a dream of our Director – Larisa Buchelnikova. … In 2004 she was on a study visit to Great Britain and visited a department for vulnerable mothers. It was there that her heart was turned on to create such a department here in Russia.
And in 2007 her dream came true. After negotiations with the Ministry of Social Protection of Sverdlovsk Region such a department was opened in the town of Revda in Sverdlovsk Region.
A two-room apartment in a regular 5-storey building and all the necessary furniture and equipment were purchased. The purchase was funded by our sponsor.
During 2 years of work the department provided support to 20 women with babies. These are 21 chances for happy and successful life in a family.
The acquired experience has inspired us and now we do all our best to disseminate it and give other children chance for loving family upbringing. More information on Disseminating the Experience of Urgent Accommodation for Vulnerable Mothers project in Sverdlovsk region.
