At the end of June, the government began discussions with the charity regarding the opening of a new home to care for children aged under 3 who are unable to be cared for by their parents. Jacques Schloesser, director of the association, told RTL that demand for spaces had suddenly shot up, requiring the creation of a new structure. At present, the charity runs two homes, each with the capacity for up to 9 young children.
The association is the only one of its kind in Luxembourg.
Michèle Bressanutti, director at the National Office for Children, said that demand for spaces in shelters for young babies was just as high as it had been two years ago. “Elisabeth has always had three homes. Two years ago, we decided to allocate one of these to older children, as there were fewer babies coming into the shelters. But now demand has risen once again for children aged 0-3.”
At present there is no clear explanation for the increase in infants requiring shelter. Equally, there was no explanation given in 2021 for the drop in demand. Now, the increased demand has been met with surprise within the sector, according to Schloesser.
The majority of children cared for in the charity’s homes have been placed with the charity by court order. Whilst it is possible for children to be placed in the homes voluntarily by their parents, Bressanutti said it is extremely rare for this to happen with young babies.
The new home is set to open in September 2023 and will have space for up to eight infants.
Schloesser explained that children who cannot be accommodated in one of the charity’s homes would be cared for by foster families, or kept at the maternity hospital until a space opens up.
According to Bressanutti, 18 children under 3 are currently being cared for in the Elisabeth homes, while 17 have been placed with foster families. Although these measures separate the children from their parents, the goal is to eventually enable reintegration within the family.
