Talita Kum 2

The mission of the Day Center for children in grades V-VIII from disadvantaged families (Talita Kum 2) is to prevent the separation of children from their families. The service has been operating since 2012 in the town of Jimbolia, at Calea Mărășești street, no. 56/A, Timiș County, and is accredited according to the law with operating license no. 1976 from 20.07.2016.

The service addresses a regional need for socio-educational assistance. In the town of Jimbolia, many middle school children from disadvantaged families, especially of Roma ethnicity (but not exclusively), lack the necessary material and educational support to start and continue their mandatory middle school education. Without consistent and sustained institutional intervention, there is a risk of school dropout, early marriage, immigration, undeclared labor, and juvenile delinquency.

About

The association offers the following to the 30-35 children from grades V-VIII from disadvantaged families who have accessed this service:

  • Two cooked meals daily, consisting of two courses for lunch and dinner.
  • Educational support to help with homework preparation for the next day, including services to recover educational delays.
  • Stimulation of creativity through workshops (instrumental music, musical performances, puppet theater).
  • Recreational activities (group and sports games, reading, music listening, movies).
  • Information and counseling sessions (psychological, legal).
  • One or two days per week dedicated to personal hygiene (showers, deworming, hair, hand, and skin care, etc.).
  • Medical care (at least one visit per year with a family doctor) and dental care (basic dental treatment including extractions, cleanings, fluoride treatments, fillings, root canal treatments, and treatment for cavities and infections).
  • Psychological evaluations (exercises and games to increase self-confidence, teamwork, seminars on substance abuse).
  • A 5-8 day summer camp, short excursions, birthday parties, etc.

Criteria for selection of assisted individuals:

  • Economic (income below the subsistence minimum)
  • Socio-locational (inadequate, unsanitary, overcrowded housing)
  • Educational (risk of not enrolling in first grade or dropping out of school)
  • Family (large or single-parent families)
  • Psycho-affective (risk of physical, psychological, or sexual abuse, and neglect)

Daily program:

  • 14:00-15:00: Arrival of the children
  • 15:00-15:30: Lunch
  • 15:30-17:30: Educational activities
  • 17:30-18:00: Recreational activities
  • 18:00-18:30: Dinner
  • 18:30-20:00: Creative workshops in music and puppet theater

In the period from 2011-2012, the association benefited from a non-reimbursable funding through the Regional Operational Program in the total amount of 3,345,501.76 lei, according to Financing Contract 1379/2011, for the renovation, modernization, extension, and equipping of the Day Center for children in grades V-VIII from disadvantaged families.

The service is offered free of charge to children who meet the selection criteria above and is subsidized from the local budget according to Law 34/1998.