Project
Accompany
Support for families
Introduction
The project brings together the actions to support and accompany the families served by the Centro Nossa Senhora Aparecida, with the aim of strengthening the health, dignity and well-being of every child and every family. Inspired by a spirit of welcome and charity, we walk side by side with them, sharing knowledge, care and practical help, and bringing services and support that are often hard to reach.
Rationale
Many of the families we welcome live in vulnerable situations and face barriers to accessing information, essential services and even basic housing and food. A lack of clear guidance, distance from public services and financial hardship can undermine everyone’s development and quality of life.
That is why welcoming the children is not enough: the whole family needs to be welcomed and supported, with knowledge, guidance, practical help and bridges to the rights that belong to them.
General aim
To promote the overall well-being of children and their families, strengthening health, decent food, adequate housing and access to social protection and assistance services.
Specific aims
Provide food support and guidance on healthy eating
Follow the health of children and families, with a focus on prevention and care
Offer practical help in times of need: cooking gas, small home repairs
Make it easier to access public services: CRAS, Conselho Tutelar and others
Give special attention to families of children with special needs, offering information and support
Create a space for listening, learning and togetherness among families
How it works — the project’s actions
Home visits
They help us understand situations that do not always show up at school, strengthen the relationship between family and institution, and identify needs that call for guidance or for involving the social protection network.
Immediate help in times of need
- Help with cooking gas for families going through hardship
- Support with small renovations and home repairs when the family cannot manage them alone
- Close, sensitive support: we look at each person’s situation and help where it is needed most
Health care
In partnership with the local health centre:
- Checking and updating the children’s vaccination cards
- Monitoring weight and growth
- Health guidance for the adults in the family too
Meetings and talks with a nurse
- Caring for common childhood and family illnesses
- Prevention and first aid
- Healthy everyday habits
Access to services and rights
- Guidance and support to seek help at CRAS (social assistance centre)
- Support and explanations about the role of the Conselho Tutelar (child protection council) and the Public Prosecutor’s Office, and how to contact them
- Help organising documents and referrals when needed
- Information about other public services available
Support for families of children with special needs
- Meetings and talks especially for mothers and families
- Information on which services exist and where to find them
- A space for sharing, listening and mutual support among families
- Practical guidance on how to support and follow the child’s development
The project in pictures
Walk with us alongside families
With your support we can keep bringing care, guidance and practical help to every family.