Project Barnablick

redefining child advocacy

within a non-for-profit organisation

Therese Ek Blidberg and Martin Broby

2012-07-09

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Stockholm City Mission was founded in 1853

Core services: Education, Social Enterprise and Social Services

400 paid members of staff and 300 part-time volunteers

Three main funding streams: public grants/contracted services, donations/sponsorship, revenue from Social Enterprise

Unga Station (House for Young people) has 15 workers who meet 650 children, young people and adults every month.

Project Barnablick is a three year project within Unga Station and is financed by Jerringfonden.

Background

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• The aim is to develop a working model that, based on the convention of the rights of the child, provides practical support for children aged 8-15 years and their network.

• The families we meet are often children with single mothers of non-Swedish and often non-western background that are isolated, segregated, have language difficulties and generally are economically poor.

• Parents often have traumatic experiences and/or suffer from psychological weaknesses.

• Most children and families make the initial contact via open activities.

Aim and Target Group

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• Unique combination of Open Activities and Supportive Activities under the same roof with the same workers.

• The child and the child’s needs are ALWAYS in focus

• Focus on Time

• Focus on the physical environment

• 'Come as You are‘

• Child Advocacy through carrying the child’s voice into different adult contexts, both internally and externally

Focus on HOW – a relation building effort

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• Open Thursday Nights: 41 occasions, 456 people of which 162 children

• Excursions: 13 occasions, 405 people of which 244 children

• Child Conversations/Counseling: 30 families with 1 or more children involved

Results 2011

• External evaluation shows that the project's work is primarily risk prevention and that through interaction with the projects work, families have created protective factors.

• Children feel that meeting the worker and participating in the various services is meaningful and provides momentary freedom from daily worries.

• Parents find motivation in seeing their children interact with other children in a positive manner and that they can turn to the worker for further support in times of need

/THANK YOU

A complete overview and analysis of the projects work and future questions will be presented 1 October 2012 at the International Children’s Day at Unga Station in Stockholm, Sweden.

Contact details:

Therese Ek Blidberg08-684 233 53 / 070- 425 65 93therese.ek.blidberg@stadsmissionen.se

Martin Broby08-684 233 54 / 070- 425 65 94martin.broby@stadsmissionen.se