The project “Empowering Children Without Parental Care” identified the problem faced by children without adequate parental care who are continuously subjected to stressful situations. It was observed that they need continuous support and assistance that will preserve their mental health and strengthen their psychological resilience, so that they can grow and be ready to respond to crisis situations and problems in the future. This problem was recognized by members of a group of young volunteers, who decided to respond to the aforementioned problem in order to show solidarity with children living in homes without adequate parental care.

They recognized the need to start conducting group psychosocial workshops and solidarity activities again, in order to empower these children for further crisis situations they will face in life.

This project, in cooperation with the competent institutions in Croatia, primarily in the area of the City of Zagreb, aimed to focus on ensuring the conditions for the continuous provision of psychosocial assistance and support to children living in homes without adequate parental care, so that they would be psychologically resilient and prepared for new stressful and crisis situations.

The project was implemented by 6 interested young people who are members of the World Youth Alliance and are interested in the mentioned topic, which they expressed in a written project proposal. The young people in the team met regularly, used digital technologies, meetings were held once every two weeks, in order to think together and discuss the implementation of the project. The team also worked intensively on the development of materials and workshop programs, with a special focus on quality leisure activities for the target group (primary school-age children living in a home for children without adequate parental care). A total of 13 group workshops of a psycho-educational nature were implemented, as well as 4 solidarity activities of quality leisure time with an emphasis on sports, social and volunteer activities where children became active in their local community. In 2024, a total of 7 psycho-educational workshops and 2 solidarity activities (sports and social) were implemented. Volunteer activities were of an ecological and humanitarian nature, and sports and cultural activities were carried out in consultation with the educators and the director of the home in Vrhovac. The project ended in 2024 with a project evaluation, an online campaign to raise awareness about the mental health and psychological resilience of children in homes, meetings with decision-makers, and the creation of press releases and blogs.

This project aimed to achieve the inclusion of children without adequate parental care in existing activities and in everyday social life.