Stiftung Südtiroler Kinderdorf

Südtiroler Kinderdorf is an organization offering shelter and foster care for children aged between 1 and 18 and young adults up to 21 years, who for different reasons cannot live in their own families. We do this since 1955. We work on assignment of the public social care of the province (county) of Bozen/Bolzano (Südtirol/Alto Adige). Our organization is known for its high quality and commitment to improve an approach of equal dignity, authenticity, personal responsibility and integrity towards the children, the parents and towards all persons we are working with. The Kinderdorf has its main activity in Brixen/Bressanone where a village-like group of houses receives up to 43 children and youngsters. The foster homes are small units, which accept 5 to 8 children. The organization is placed on a wide area, including a small farm with sheep, goats, lamas and donkeys. A 10 minutes’ walk from the town center it is placed among green meadows up on the hill with a nice view over the town. This is important for our work, as the quiet atmosphere gives children who cannot live with their families a feeling of home and of a secure place. Our organization has one foster home for adolescents also in Meran/Merano, a 80 km distant town in Südtirol/Alto Adige. The organization offers several different services besides foster care: a house giving shelter and support to young mothers, a service of social and pedagogical family assistance as well as child and adolescent psychiatric therapies. Since 2007 the nearby medieval farmhouse was renovated and transformed into a center for continuous training and education. The stable barn was rebuilt; donkeys, lamas, sheep and goats live there and are part of our pet supported pedagogics. A big vegetable garden provides fresh vegetables and the opportunity for youngsters to work during the whole summer. The human being is in the center of our work. We believe that life is meaningful despite all the ups and downs. We support the development of the persons we work with and do this with joy. Cooperation and attachment are essential in our work. We support self-esteem of the people we work with and are open to get into relations in a warm and hearty way. And we provide shelter and continuity which are the base of a good work. Transparency means for us, that all involved persons are put into conditions to understand what we are doing.