I. Program Overview

BACKGROUND

Children in Need of Special Protection (CNSP) with experiences of physical, psychological, or sexual abuse, neglect, cruelty, emotional maltreatment, substance abuse and in conflict with the law revealed their pervasive feelings which characterize the children’s inner world.  These children may experience the feeling of unloved, rejected and abandoned; feeling helpless and hopeless; feeling alone and lonely. Despite these feelings, they still wish for a family, unity, and togetherness; they long for love and care, and they want to go back to school and finish their studies.

Thus, The Haven – Regional Center for Children (Haven for Children) was established thru the initiative of the Congressional Spouses Foundation, Incorporated (CSFI).  It offers programs and services to the growing number of street children and their specific needs particularly recovering from neglect and abuses, and preparation towards family reintegration or independent living. However, due to the increasing number of cases of children in need of special protection and children at-risk, The Haven – Regional Center for Children extended its programs and services for such cases.

PHILOSOPHICAL BASE

Having a dutiful family is essential for the moral, spiritual, social, intellectual and physical development of its members, most especially the children. The State comes in to assist parents when they are unable to provide the needs of the children. Parens Patriae or “parents of the country” refers to the duty of the State to defend and care for its vulnerable members, most particularly the children. This duty of the State is inherent and co-exists with the duty of the persons exercising parental authority because its nature is supportive and essential.

When a child is vulnerable to abuse or exploitation, placing him/her in a residential care facility is the last resort. Working with the child and the family is the most essential intervention towards their healing and eventual reunification. If any concern or question may arise in the case management and Center operation, the paramount consideration is the child’s best interest and welfare.

LEGAL BASE

1. The United Nation Convention on the Rights of the Child presents the role of the State, community, family and the children themselves as well as the goals in the attainment of the vision of the Filipino Child.
2. Republic Act No. 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act states that a comprehensive program shall be formulated to protect children against any form of abuse, which endangers child survival and normal development.
3. Republic Act No. 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 declares the policy of the State to safeguard the integrity of its territory and well-being of its citizenry particularly the youth from harmful effects of dangerous drugs on their physical and mental well-being and to defend the same against acts of commission detrimental to their development and preservation.
4. Presidential Decree No. 603 or the Child and Youth Welfare Code states that all children shall be entitled to the rights herein set forth without distinction as to legitimacy or illegitimacy, sex, social status, religion, political antecedents, and other factors.
5. DSWD Department Order No. 13, Series of 2000, provides guidelines on the implementation of street children program, which serve as the guiding principles for policy and program interventions that promote and safeguard the Filipino child.

DESCRIPTION OF THE CENTER

The Haven- Regional Center for Children is a residential care facility designed to provide healing and empowerment to children in need of special protection and children at-risk. The Haven hopes to equip them with intellectual, emotional and psycho-social skills to become productive individuals of worth, in preparation for reunification with their families and/or independent living.

STATEMENT OF VISION, MISSION, AND GOALS

VISION

 “A Center where children in need of special protection are empowered, free from any form of abuses, provided with temporary custody where they can live a healthy lifestyle and have their well-being and rights protected and promoted.”

“Isang kanlungan na kung saan ang mga batang nangangailangan ng espesyal na pangangalaga ay magabayan tungo sa pagbabagong buhay, mabigyan ng kaukulang pagkupkop at pagkalinga, maitaguyod ang kanilang mga karapatan at tahakin ang isang malusog at maayos na pamumuhay.

MISSION

“To provide therapeutic and rehabilitative services that bring holistic recovery and development of the children through teamwork, strengthened by professionalism and commitment of the Center’s staff.”

“Magbigay ng ibat-ibang serbisyo sa mga bata na makakatulong sa pagtataguyod ng kanilang pangkabuoang kagalingan at kaunlaran sa pamamagitan ng pagtutulungan na may mahusay, matapat at magiliw na paglilingkod ng bawat kawani.”

GENERAL OBJECTIVES

To provide holistic interventions to children in need of special protection geared towards family reunification or productive independent living for them to become contributing members for the good of the community.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

1. To provide a temporary supportive and nurturing home that will constitute an easier and immediate recovery of the residents. 
2. To provide biopsychosocial activities that will help the residents be empowered and cope with the demands of their society.
3. To modify the behavior and enhance the character of the residents geared towards the development of better and wholesome life skills to ensure successful living.
4. To maintain, strengthen and sustain linkages/alliances with partner government and non-government organizations, volunteers, private groups and individual in the attainment of this mission. 
5. To provide capability building activities to Center staff in order to enhance their skills in handling children victims of any form of abuse.
6. To serve as a venue for training and learning among students and professionals in Social Work, Psychology and other disciplines.

II. Programs/Services/Activities/Modalities

The Haven’s Programs

Guided with the conceptual framework for intervention, the Haven offers four (4) major program components:

1. Rehabilitation and Therapy Program
   At the core of the Center’s program is the RTP. Within this program is a menu of activities that help child focus their attention away from the past experiences of the streets and into alternative activities.
2. Character Building Program
   This program promotes the development and strengthening of values and characters by working on desirable qualities such as truthfulness, patience and loyalty, among others. This helps bring about good decision-making based on universal core values. Specifically, this program puts into concrete operation the use of “Manual on Character Building Program for Children and Youth in Residential Care Facilities”.
3. Education and Skills Training Program
   Under this program are structured activities aimed at equipping children necessary academic skills that will aid them after their reintegration.
4. Health and Nutrition
   As the program name suggest, this concerns itself to the physical well-being of the children in the Center.

The Haven’s Services and Interventions

In support of the programs is a range of services and interventions for the Center’s clientele group. These interventions directly address the four (4) broad areas of Child’s rights, namely Survival, Protection, Development and Participation

1. Social Services
   These are interventions that seek to restore/develop social functioning of children from admission to discharge and preparation for family reunification, community reintegration and alternative family placement if deemed identified.
   • Conduct counseling, casework, group work.
   • Interviewing
   • Individual or Group Counseling
   • Provision of Group Dynamics
   • Implementation of Character-Building Program (as a tool for behavioral     modification)
   • Conduct of Case Conference/ Rehabilitation Team Planning
   • Conduct of Home visits (Provision of Family Counseling, Collateral Information etc.)
   • Preparation and Updating of Social Case Study Report.
   • Updating of Case Folders of Client
   • Attending and escorting client for Court Hearing
   • Preparing Monthly Progress Report of the client.
   • Coordinating with other Rehab Team Members on the progress of the client
   • Prepare and submit monthly and quarterly reports.
2. Medical Service:
   • Provision and maintenance of the physical and mental well-being of the children. Services include consultation and treatment, dental checkup, referral to hospitals needing further medical assessment and treatment.
   • Conduct of sessions regarding proper grooming and hygiene.
   • Coordination to Medical Social Worker at any hospital re: Center’s Activities e.g. circumcision, deworming and confinement of clients, etc.)
   • Monitoring of temperature to a sick client by our Center Nurse.
   • To render care and give medications to sick clients, in order to attain the level of health and wellness of the clients.
   • Visit of the physician for the weekly checkup of the clients.
   • Monitoring the intake of prescribed medicines and vitamins of the clients.
   • Conduct of good hygiene activities like, cleaning of ears and nose, regular hand washing of hands and sessions on good grooming and personal hygiene.
   • Prepare Monthly Progress Report of the client.
   • Prepare feedback report after referring client to hospital.
   • Update client’s case folder.
   • Prepare and submit monthly and quarterly reports.
3. Dietary Service
   • This service entails careful planning of the monthly menu prepared by Houseparent; ensures balanced diet   suited to the children and growth monitoring of children.
   • Menu is well planned and prepared under the supervision of the Center Head and Nutritionist
   • Reciting prayer before and after meals.
4. Psychological Service
   This is the provision of psychological evaluation for each child which shall be part of case management.  It shall include in depth assessment and evaluation of the child’s cognitive, personality and behavior using psychological evaluation and testing.
   • Referral to Psychological Exam and evaluation at Wundt Psychological Institute, PMHA and Benguet Laboratories Baguio City.
   • The Center Psychologist conducts psychological assessment.
   • Conduct individual and group therapeutic activities for them to discover and express themselves.
   • Prepare Monthly Psychological Report
   • Prepare and submit monthly and quarterly reports
5. Homelife Service
   • Children are expose to home –like atmosphere conducive to moral development. Houseparents conducts home life session along:
     • Good grooming/physical hygiene
     • Cleanliness of the Center and its surroundings
     • Different task e.g. dishwashing, sweeping, wiping, laundry, cooking etc.
     • Table Manners
     • Values e.g. respect, obedience and honesty
   • Prepare Monthly Schedule/Duty of Houseparents
   • Prepare weekly homelife tasks of clients (per session of the clients)
   • Monitoring/roving client’s activities especially night
   • Purchase of food stuff (marketing) of the clients
   • Houseparent to conduct group sessions/recreational activities. 
   • Prepare and submit houseparent’s monthly observation report.
   • Prepare and submit monthly and quarterly reports.
6. Educational Service
   • The provision of opportunities for the continuing education of the children through formal or non-formal education in coordination and cooperation of Department of Education.
   • Clients with disabilities are carefully assessed and enrolled in Special Education.
   • The Social Worker/Teacher shall coordinate with the school authorities and enroll the children to pursue their schooling considering their mental and emotional readiness.
   • The Center Teacher should attend PTA meetings and participate in school activities
   • The children are encouraged to attend in extracurricular school activities.
   • Center Teacher will develop special interests of clients such as but not limited to arts and crafts, dancing, music, and drama.
   • The Center Teacher should conduct individual tutorial to children who has difficulties in their homework.
   • The Center Teacher should monitor school performance/ progress/ adjustments and problems of the children thru close coordination with class adviser.
   • The children will be provided with their school needs such as notebooks, papers ballpeen/pencil, uniforms, bags, crayon etc.
   • The Center Teacher conducts initial assessment to determine functional literacy lessons to be given to the client.
   • The Center Teacher creates lesson plan based on the skill and learning difficulties which need to be addressed based on initial and monthly progress assessment.
   • The Center Teacher conducts functional literacy sessions to non – schoolers and provides tutorial to schoolers.
   • The Center Teacher prepares and submits monthly and quarterly reports.
7. Sports, Creative Arts and Recreational Activities
   • Providing them such arrays of activities to develop their hobbies or a creative talent such as sports, singing, dancing, and acting/drama, playing instruments, writing and painting.  These activities also foster feelings of competence, self-worth, identity and a feeling of worth in the community.  
8. Spiritual Services and Values Formation
   • Enlightening spiritual and value formation activities are developed and regularly implemented
   • Provision of Recollection/Retreat once a year.
   • Respect for the religion of each child should always be maintained.
9. Productivity and Skills Training Service
   • Provision of worthwhile activities such as the PSD to enhance their hidden skills and talents for gainful employment
   • PSD services also divert their negative thoughts and feelings and provide them sense of accomplishment and feel good about them.                       
   • Prepare and submit monthly and quarterly reports.
10. After Care Service
    • This is regarded as the continuation of the rehabilitation process within the community after discharge from the Center. To ensure smooth reintegration of the child to his family and community, the Social Worker may conduct follow-up through visits or coordinate with the Municipal/City/Local Social Welfare and Development Officer of the LGU to conduct the visits and to provide other support services like educational, capital assistance, training, counseling and other services available to protect the interest of the child.
11. Behavior Modification
    • Rewards and punishments along with other techniques of behavior modification reinforce positive behavior and discourage those which are not helpful. This is based on identifying desired observable and measurable behaviors, factors reinforcing these behaviors, application of reinforcement and evaluation of the consequences of application.

III. Target Clientele

The clientele beneficiaries of The Haven for Children are male Children in Need of Special Protection who are exposed and recovering from substance abuse, children of street families, street working children, street living child, children in need of protective custody, children who are neglected, abandoned, physically abused, and victims of trafficking, whose ages are 7 years old to 14 years old. In addition, residents who are already admitted can extend until they are 15 years old if and when it is necessary.  More so, cases of abandoned / missing children, considering their best interest, can stay in the Center until they are successfully reintegrated, can independently live, or placed in permanent parental care.

IV. Eligibility Requirements

The target beneficiaries of Haven for Children are male Children in Need of Special Protection and / or Child at – Risk whose ages are 7-14 years old.

V. Documentary Requirements

1. Referral Letter from Municipal / City Social Welfare and Development Office                
2. Social Case Study Report
3. Recent / Updated Medical Certificate
4. Birth Certificate
5. Police Blotter / Report (if necessary)
6. School Records (if necessary)

VI. Contact Person/s

ROSEMARIE V. ROSALES
Social Welfare Officer III / Center Head, The Haven-Regional Center for Children (HRCC)
Russia Street, Bonuan Binloc, Dagupan City, Pangasinan
(075) 653-9875
hfc.fo1@dswd.gov.ph

VII. Legal Bases

https://www.unicef.org/child-rights-convention
https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1992/06/17/republic-act-no-7610
https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2002/06/07/republic-act-no-9165
https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1974/12/10/presidential-decree-no-603-s-1974