|  For more than 30 years babies have been abandoned by their mothers in Romanian hospitals. According to a survey, supported by the Ministry of Health and UNICEF and carried out in over 150 medical institutions, around 4,000 newborn babies were abandoned in Romania maternity hospitals immediately after delivery in 2004. All of these babies were extremely underweight and in need of constant care and attention.
 The report states that many mothers who abandon their children are very young, poorly educated and living in extreme poverty. “Unfortunately, young mothers going into hospitals are confronted with conservative attitudes and practices. The system remains very traditional and penalizes the poor and marginalized,” says Pierre Poupard, UNICEF Representative in Romania.
 The overall aim of the Hagar Home Maternal Center is to assist “at risk” mothers (those who are at high risk of abandoning their newborns) and their infants in fulfilling God’s plan and potential for their lives through:
- Helping provide for basic needs of the mother and child: shelter, food, safety, heath/medical assistance.
- Counsel mothers to overcome their backgrounds; heal emotionally, mentally and spiritually; and when possible bring restoration of relationships.
- Empower mothers with values, basic life skills and education; and when possible train them for employment so they and their children will be integrated into the community as independent, productive individuals.
- Provide an environment of love, encouragement, and friendship.
Target Group:
- Mothers between the ages of 13 and 29 who lack economic, emotional, social, spiritual and family support of herself or her child.
- Mothers who were physically, emotionally, or sexually abused.
 Mothers who have one child (or twins) in their custody, between the age of 0-12 months and are willing to raise them by themselves.- Mothers referred by maternity hospitals staff, abortion clinics, parents, and other organi- zations that work with mothers-at-risk.
Criteria:
- Mothers are willing to develop themselves and want to positively change their circum- stances and future.
- Mothers without outstanding criminal background, or mental illnesses that make them incompetent to care for a child.
- Outcome of assessment proves that they are not addicted to severe subtances; i.e., heroin cocaine, amphetamines, alcohol, etc.
There are six phases to this program:
- pre-entry—identify and select those that will benefit from the program;
- adjustment—mother will successfully cope with day-to-day life challenges, bond with child, begin basic life skills, develop a spiritual foundation;
- engagement—reinforce spiritual growth, become involved in outreach in the community, continue second level of basic life skills, develop a healthy perspective of real life issues;
- disengagement—preparations for an independent life for mother and child;
- follow-up—successful mother/child integration into society; and
- evaluation—determine if program objectives have been accomplished and incorporating all that has been learned into current program design.
Yearly budget for this project is $120,000. That includes the costs of the maternal center, as well as the hospital outreaches and the foster care program (for babies left at the hospitals at birth).
If you would like to partner with us on this vital project to save potentially abandoned children in Romania, please DONATE NOW!
Already the first Hagar Home is filled and property has been located to open a second home. The cost of the property, which is large enough to house at least 10 additional mothers and babies, is $350,000. The price of property in Bucharest has been escalating rapidly. If you can assist us in securing this desperately-needed second home for mothers and babies, please DONATE NOW!
For smaller national and international projects that need your help NOW,
please check our End-of-the-Year Giving Opportunities!
These projects range in size from less than $20 to about $3,500. |
