Children who stole and begged on street found a second home

Thirteen children that had been stealing, begging and sleeping on the street have been brought to a hostel for street children of the Child Placement Center, which is supported by the Regina Pacis Foundation. There they benefit from food, medical assistance, accommodation and schooling, a social assistant working at the center told Info-Prim Neo. According to the quoted source, the children accommodated at the center come from disfavored families and chose the street for various reasons: their parents are dead or in prison, are divorced or work abroad or they were sent away by their parents because life without them is easier. The children are often subjected to violence and maltreatment by the family members. Some of the children were brought to the center after they ran away from other centers. When they were found, they were in a serious condition. “Our mission is to contribute to the integration of the children in the community and to the development and formation of life habits and perceptions, and to counsel the child and the family members. These children have real chances to get integrated in the society,” the social assistant said. The center provides several workshops where the children can learn different jobs, a woodworking workshop, an origami workshop where the girls make greetings and invitations, a music workshop, an informatics workshop, a plastic arts workshop and Italian language classes. The children will live at the hostel until they turn 18. Then, they will continue their studies at vocational schools with grants and allowances provided by the state.