A mother of two young children became aware of the operation of the Athens Solidarity Centre, after visiting Social Solidarity Hub of the municipality of Athens at Palaio Frourarcheio across Larissa Station. Specifically, the mother seeking to get help as regards food provision, she was informed about the relevant to children and family support services of the two NGO’s Network for the Children’s Rights and Together for the Child, both of them located in the first floor of the Solidarity Centre in Athens.

In her first visit to the centre, S. (the mother) was able to speak with the pedagogue, the social worker and the psychologist of the Network for the Children’s Rights regarding her two children. After a thorough conversation with the staff members of the NGO, S. was referred to attend an appointment with an experienced pediatrician. In the following days, the mother had the chance to speak with the pediatrician as for her younger child. The doctor ascertained that the child appears signs of developmental speech disorder. However, she added that there is no need of worrying, as the immediate action and care by the parents will help the child to recover. Besides that, S. started to attend sessions with the psychologist of the NGO, this time for her older child, regarding the management of child’s behaviour, which has been affected by the fears and anxieties caused by the family environment. S. through those sessions is trying as well to reinforce her roles as a person inside the family and to learn how to cope effectively with everyday’s life’s problems.

Apart from Network for the Children’s Rights, S. visited also the employability service of PRAKSIS for herself and the legal service of ARSIS for one of her close friend’s issue and she was given future appointments.
At the end of our conversation S. told us that the pediatrician is in contact with her, following-up the progress of the child. Moreover, it has been discussed the possibility of enrolling the child in a nursery upon the new school season. According to the mother, this is something that can conduce positively to the socialisation of the child, along with the speech improvement, things that until now have been pushed aside as a result of no appropriate information and specialized support and help.

Panagiotis Bourgazas
Social Scientist