© Monica Camposeo
When a child is unable to stay with their family due to abuse, domestic violence, or negligence, a shelter often needs to be found quickly.
Children can be placed in emergency reception centres for short periods up to three months during which time an assessment is carried out to decide on longer-term care.
On Wednesday, AITIA, the state institute for child and youth assistance, inaugurated a new centre in Dudelange to respond to such urgent cases.
Space for five babies and four children
The shelter, situated near Parc Le'h, can accommodate up to nine children aged 1-12, and has been operational since 3 June. However, during the official inauguration, the children were temporarily housed elsewhere.
Currently, the Am Park shelter houses six young residents aged between one and four years old.
Some are returned to their families after a short stay, explained Lynn Karen, educational manager at AITIA. Two more children are set to join the shelter over the coming fortnight.
"It seems than in the future, it will not be possible to reduce the spaces but instead they will need to be expanded," commented Romain Lies, AITIA's director of operations.
Education minister Claude Meisch said it was important to create more shelters. Even if emergency places are only temporary, they are needed in order to assess the situation before deciding whether to place the child in long-term care, or return them to their family.
"I think it also provides better, more child-friendly care," the minister said. "That's why more of these facilities are planned across the country. "
Children may come from anywhere
The children temporarily accommodated in the Am Park facility can come from anywhere in Luxembourg. They are educated at a local school for the duration of their stay. Dudelange mayor Dan Biancalana said that cooperation between the various organisations works well, allowing them to draw on collective experience.
The first care homes for children opened in Dudelange in the 1980s, when they were still public orphanages.
The emergency centre, which handles urgent cases, must be able to offer children a sense of security despite their precarious situations. Nathalie Gianotti, director of AITIA, said collaboration with various professionals is therefore essential.
A midwife regularly visits to take care of the needs of the youngest residents. The first baby admitted to the emergency home was only six months old. "Every child has the right to stability and respect," said Gianotti, especially in difficult situations.
