Hogar Champagnat in Torrente welcomes children and adolescents into foster care or guardianship

It has been eleven years since the Province of Mediterránea opened Hogar Champagnat, which accommodates twelve children between the ages of six and eighteen. Its mission is the integral and educational care of children and adolescents in a situation of care or guardianship when they are deprived of a suitable family environment.

The team working on this project is made up of seventeen people, including the director, social worker, coordinator of educators, psychologist, educators and social integrators. In addition to cooking, cleaning, maintenance and administration.

COVID-19

In the first days of the crisis, all the professionals of the Champagnat Home found themselves in an unprecedented situation, with a lot of confused information and a group of children and adolescents with many questions with plans for the immediate future blocked by the pandemic. Many frustrations arose from the uncertainty of not knowing when they would see their friends and family again. 

Already these boys and girls come with baggage loaded by different difficult circumstances, to which is added this new situation, which makes them carry an overload. At this moment, we are forced to be making sure that their baggage does not break or overflow, and we are trying to channel, as easily as possible, fun and enjoyment into their lives.

Now that the first few weeks have passed, the girls have drawn on their strength and ability to adapt to this new situation. As for the educational and auxiliary services team, it has also been a great challenge and a great responsibility, since we are the means of contact with the outside world and it is a priority to maintain the Home as a place for protection and reduction of risks of contagion.

The future with a great deal of anticipation

Today, we look forward to the future. Our priority as an educational team these days is to manage the de-escalation of confinement, being an example of civic responsibility, accompanying and showing  preventive safety measures. Without neglecting their leisure and free time, the contact with their families through video links, their participation in the decision making of the daily operation through assemblies, etc.

Undoubtedly, this situation has strengthened our qualities as educators, forcing us to be more creative and to devise new strategies to accompany them  in the daily uncertainty of how long this will last and when they will finally be able to meet with their families and friends. And without any doubt it has brought out the potential of our children more than ever, infinite fighters, capable of adapting to new situations and giving an example to adults.

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Hogar Champagnat Team