Psychosocial support for vulnerable children

Save the Children Finland has launched a project called Children’s Support in reception centers, which aims to identify and address the special needs of vulnerable children in reception centers. The project is co-funded by the European Union. The project will run from 2024 to 2027 with an EU grant of €558 933.

The project will design and implement child-friendly and youth-friendly spaces and training to focus on and support children in reception centers. The project has started in April 2024 and will run until March 2027. The main objective is to ensure that children and young people of all ages in reception centers have access to regular activities which enhance their psychosocial well-. Children and young people with varying degrees of disability will also be taken into account in the development of the activities, and their inclusion will play a major role.

We are implementing the project in three different locations, Oulu, Turku and Helsinki. Through the activities, children and young people have access to regular low-threshold psychosocial support activities. Parents and guardians also have the opportunity to rest, take care of their own affairs or join the activities if they wish. During the weekly sessions, trained volunteers from Child Friendly Space are on hand. We will also develop and organize further training for professionals and volunteers on the different themes of the project, for example encountering children and inclusion.

We also welcome new volunteers in all our locations! To sign up as a volunteer, please follow this link.