A life changed!

Here is a true story of one life changed through the work of RICF. We'll call the young man Samuel to protect his identity.

Samuel arrived in the care of RICF in 2000. When he first arrived, he could not read or write and his speech was limited to a few words. He had never had a shower. He had never ridden a bicycle. He had never been in a bus or a car. He could not turn the pages of a book, and had no idea how to hold a pen or pencil. He came from a large family where he had been neglected.

Samuel shortly after his arrival at Acasa, with one of RICF's educators

As with any child arriving at Acasa, there are lots of things to do in the first few days. Depending on the child, these include attention to personal hygiene (including removal of head and body lice), a consultation by RICF's doctor to check general health status, and a visit to the dentist to check whether any emergency treatment is needed. In Samuel's case, the team of staff had to start from scratch showing him how to wash, how to clean his teeth, how to eat at a table and how to speak and communicate with other people.

Then comes the task of finding out about the child's family background. RICF's social workers visit the child's home to see whether there might be any chance of family reintegration with support from RICF, with the child's parents or other relatives. In Samuel's case there was no such possibility. Where there is no family able to care for a child, a formal process is started through the child protection authorities to request that the child be transferred into a placement with RICF.

Samuel playing near Acasa

The educational history is traced, and school records are sought out as proof that the child has attended and passed certain school years. In Samuel's case there were no school records because he had never attended school. An educational assessment is carried out to help decide in which class a child will be enrolled, and how much educational support will be required at Acasa (e.g. individual tutorials in mathematics and Romanian, speech therapy, in addition to supervision by Acasa's team of educators). Samuel was enrolled in a school for children with special educational needs, and was also provided with intensive speech therapy at Acasa.

The medical history is also traced where possible, to determine a child's vaccination history and any particular medical problems, so that outstanding vaccinations and any necessary medical treatments can be given. Children have to be screened for certain serious infectious diseases prior to being accepted at Acasa. This involves blood tests and other medical tests. Samuel passed this phase without any problems.

Samuel made excellent progress at Acasa, where he improved in his social skills and speech and communication. He fitted in well at his school, and was accompanied to school each day by a member of RICF's staff or a volunteer. His personality developed and he became much more talkative, actually initiating conversations. We found out that he enjoys music and dancing, and were able to encourage him to develop these interests.

Samuel with his foster mother

In June 2002, Samuel was placed with a foster family. He loved it and immediately started to thrive. His progress with his speech and communication accelerated, and he soon became very much part of the family. He was transferred to a school for children with special educational needs near his foster family's home. He only rarely visited Acasa to see friends there, as he much preferred his time spent with the family.

A life changed!

In the summer of 2005, Samuel went to spend some time with his biological mother. He felt at home there, and now he has turned 16, he has decided to live with his biological family back in their village outside Bucharest. A lot of love and attention has been invested in Samuel during his time at Acasa and in his foster placement, and we are sure he will benefit enormously from this both now and into the future. He also learned several useful skills at his special school, and it is hoped that he will be able to use these skills to find paid employment in his village.