Early Support for Children from 3 to 8 yrs. from Varna and the Country through Week-long Intensive Therapy at Karin Dom

Program “Early Childhood Development and Preparation for School” – support for children from 3 to 8 years from Varna and the whole country through intensive weekly therapeutic packages at Karin Dom. The therapy takes place in Karin Dom at: city of Varna, 86A Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd.

The project will cover families from Varna and the entire country and aims to support early childhood development and preparation for kindergarten and school.

Project objective:

The goal of the joint project is to provide equal access to quality therapeutic services for children aged 3-8 years from Varna and the whole country. The program offers professional services for children with various conditions – motor and intellectual disabilities, generalized developmental disorder, social and emotional difficulties where there is a risk of developmental delay, atypical behavior.

The one-week-long therapy program supports the children’s future inclusion in kindergartens and schools. The therapy is carried out by a team of highly qualified specialists: clinical psychologists, speech therapists, rehabilitators/kinesitherapists, occupational therapists, special educators and social workers. The parents/relatives are also present and actively participate in the therapy sessions with the child. The family receives an individual home program with recommendations for parents on how to support the child and successfully cope with everyday life.

Early family support gives parents and caregivers the confidence that their children will meet the challenges at school, be accepted and thrive alongside their peers.

30 one-week-long intensive therapy packages will be provided at Karin Dom. The therapeutic services provided take place within 5 days and an individual program is developed according to the needs and requirements of the child and the family and, if necessary, a follow-up consultation is provided.

To be included in the program, parents can fill out the form HERE by marking: one-week package service. For families from settlements outside the city of Varna, the program covers transport costs up to BGN 100 upon presentation of an expense document.

For additional questions, you can contact our team by phone: 052/ 302 518 or 0878/ 302 518.

Activities:

The program includes screening, intensive therapy and work with the family. Our specialists develop an individual detailed therapeutic program for work at home. Depending on each individual case, the following specialists are involved – physiotherapist, occupational therapist, psychologist, speech therapist and social worker. According to the needs, the child can be included in sensory activities, a toy library, a parent group for mutual help and support. Families will have the opportunity to take advantage of а consultation, if necessary, to monitor the development or discuss a specific case.

Through the program, we will also provide the following services for children:

• Screening with new diagnostic tools;
• Consultations with a swimming coach – depending on the child’s condition, especially when they have any sensory deficits in relation to water and bathing, the family may be offered a consultation with a swimming specialist/swimming coach;
• Occupational therapy – consultation with an occupational therapist;
• Group activities – depending on the child’s condition – can be included in group activities;
• Referral to medical specialists – if needed, we refer the family to a relevant specialist in the city – neurologist, psychiatrist, pediatrician, gastroenterologist, nutritionist, etc.
• Videos of daily activities of the child and the family – families provide short videos of various routine, daily activities of the child, then show it to the therapists they work with at Karin Dom, so that the condition can be further analyzed and helped on the therapeutic work this week;
• Access to the digital video – library of Karin Dom.

Expected results:

The priority of our specialists is that every child, regardless of their difficulties, be included in the educational system from early preschool age.

The main advantage and benefit of the intensive program is that the therapy takes place in front of the parents and with their participation. Parents see how their children, despite their difficulties, have the skills to cope. Parents gain the knowledge and skills to be advocates for their children and their right to be educated alongside their peers. Through early support, families become more confident that their children will meet the challenges at school, be accepted and develop their potential as such. The home program, which will be prepared by the specialists, will contain guidelines for the family that will prepare them to deal with the daily needs of the child in a family environment.

The program supports children to develop motor, communication and cognitive skills, as well as self-care skills and social and emotional development and social skills to support the child’s inclusion in the education system.

The program is implemented with the financial support of Cargill Bulgaria.

Cargill provides food, agricultural, financial and industrial products and services worldwide. The company has been in business for 158 years, and during that time it has never stopped fulfilling its purpose of feeding the world in a safe, responsible and sustainable way, reducing environmental impact and enriching the communities in which we live and work. Currently, Cargill’s offices in Bulgaria employ over 1,300 employees who are strongly committed to various social causes, which are focused on three main areas: education, environment and charity.

In Bulgaria, the company and Cargill employees are empathetic and committed to improving access to quality education by supporting children with special needs, advocating for their rights and educational opportunities, and supporting the activities of Karin Dom, both financially and with volunteer work.

Photo: Karin Dom, photographer: Gergana Encheva