Sabiedrībā balstītu sociālo pakalpojumu pieejamības palielināšana

The aim of the project "Day Care Center OGA" (hereinafter – DAC OGA) is to create community-based social service infrastructure and to increase the availability of community-based social services. Within the framework of the project, infrastructure will be established for a day care center for children with functional impairments with 20 places, and day care services will be provided for a period of 24 months.

The project’s target group consists of children with functional impairments who have been officially granted disability status and who live in families. DAC OGA will specialize in children with neurological movement disorders.

Each year, Ziedot.lv helps more than 200 children from all over Latvia to cover rehabilitation and medical services that are not financed by the state or municipalities, are paid services, or have disproportionately long waiting lists. In 2024, children with movement disorders received rehabilitation funded by public donations raised by Ziedot.lv from 82 different service providers across Latvia. Ziedot.lv does not operate within a single municipality and provides comprehensive support to families. If the required outpatient rehabilitation is far from the family’s place of residence, Ziedot.lv also covers accommodation costs. In 2024, donations were used to pay 231 invoices totaling EUR 70,230.00 for parents’ and children’s stays in hotels in Riga during outpatient rehabilitation courses.

According to the generally accepted understanding of community-based social services, a day care center should be located close to the place of residence. In the case of Ziedot.lv, however, these children effectively live in Riga while receiving long-term outpatient services. Similarly to the Parents’ House located near the Children’s Clinical University Hospital, where parents can stay during their child’s treatment, during long-term rehabilitation (for example, three weeks) at least one parent lives together with the child in Riga—staying with relatives, renting an apartment, or in a hotel paid for by Ziedot.lv. During this period, the child with functional impairments is outside their usual comfort environment, does not attend services available at their place of residence, and is effectively socially isolated for most of the day. Parents who spend long periods accompanying their child to outpatient rehabilitation far from home also need respite, support in childcare, and the opportunity to attend medical appointments, public institutions, and other personal matters. If such a service is not available, the child spends all free time in a hotel, while the parent has no opportunity for respite or to access needed services.

In Latvia, medical and rehabilitation services for children with movement disorders are often more accessible in Riga than in the regions for several important reasons. Riga concentrates medical centers, rehabilitation institutions, and educational facilities with adapted infrastructure, as well as qualified specialists such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and psychologists. Specialized dental care for children with severe functional impairments is also available only in Riga, as are a number of other specific outpatient services. In the regions, there is often a shortage of both equipment and specialists capable of providing appropriate services. Considering the number of specialists trained in Latvia and the available financial resources, it is not always reasonable to develop highly specialized services in every regional municipality. Instead, accessibility should be ensured so that children from the regions can receive comprehensive services in Riga that meet their social, medical, personal, and family needs, while also providing psychosocial support.

DAC OGA clients will be children who live in the municipality of the city of Riga or who, within the framework of medical treatment and rehabilitation episodes, stay/live in Riga for extended periods away from their permanent place of residence in other regions of Latvia. It is expected that on average 30% of clients will be from Riga and 70% from other Latvian municipalities.

By establishing a respectful and individualized cooperation model with each child and their family, DAC OGA services will implement an innovative, integrated, and client-centered medical and psychosocial rehabilitation plan. Day care services will include supervision appropriate to the child’s age and functional condition, individualized support, assistance with self-care and the development of independent functioning skills, as well as meaningful leisure and creative activities incorporating elements of art therapy. Innovative digital and technological equipment will be used to provide therapeutic rehabilitation.

Ziedot.lv owns a property at Sēlpils Street 2C, Riga, which has been developed as a community support center since 2018. In Ziedot.lv premises, consultative and financial support is provided to families of seriously ill children, seniors, and adults with acute and chronic conditions, covering state-unfunded medical services, rehabilitation, and other forms of social assistance from donations.

DAC OGA infrastructure will be created as a separate extension to the existing building at Sēlpils Street 2C, meaning that DAC OGA will have its own dedicated premises, while also using shared infrastructure - such as the existing entrance area, elevator, and stairwell - making this a cost-efficient solution.

DAC OGA premises will be arranged across three floors and will be fully adapted for children with severe functional impairments, ensuring free and convenient movement with wheelchairs and assistive devices, adapted hygiene facilities, a multisensory room, quiet rooms for rest and relaxation, and spaces for dance, art, music, and other workshops. A specially equipped kitchen–dining area will allow children to practice self-care skills. These spaces will be connected to a small, cozy outdoor area suitable for socialization, leisure, and workshop activities in appropriate weather conditions.

Special attention will be paid to the use of innovative digital and technological equipment in therapeutic sessions with children. We consider this to be our unique added value in the DAC OGA service for children with functional impairments, particularly given DAC OGA’s specialization in children with neurological movement disorders.

DAC OGA will increase the number of available day care places in Latvia for children with functional impairments by 20 places, which will be flexibly used by children with functional impairments from all over Latvia.

Project number: 4.3.5.1/1/25/A/013
Project program: 4.3.5.1 Increasing the availability of community-based social services, 1st round, 2nd call
Project funder: European Social Fund Plus
Project budget: EUR 2,040,198.00
Project budget breakdown: ESF+ funding EUR 1,734,168.30, Ziedot.lv funding EUR 306,029.70