The Family Nest is a community-based prevention and family work centre that offers a comprehensive solution for systematic and coordinated prevention and early detection among families with children and young children at local level, close to home. The aim of the Family Centre is to empower parents, providing them with timely, relevant and professional support in raising children and in building and maintaining family and couple relationships. The target group of Perepesa is all families in the community who have children and families with children, from the time of pregnancy until the child leaves school. Perepesa is a community centre, with a playroom, a psychologist, training courses for parents and other parenting support.
Monika Rogenbaum, Mayor of Valga Municipality, explained that good parenting skills and a satisfying couple relationship are a natural part of growing up as a family. „Therefore, it is important that parents have the opportunity to acquire these skills and knowledge. When parents are fully supported in their child's upbringing and development, this helps prevent parental stress and creates a safe environment for the child to grow up in. Valga municipality is planning to apply for a grant later this year to ensure that parents in Valga municipality also have the opportunity to get support, knowledge and family services from Valga Perepesa,“ said the mayor.
The Perepesa community-based prevention and family work centre has been developed by the Child Welfare Development Centre (hereinafter LaHe). Family Nests are already operating in ten municipalities. Ülla Kimmel, Head of the Social Work Service of Valga Municipality, said that Valga Municipality has met and consulted the LaHe team several times to identify the possibilities for setting up a Family Centre in Valga Municipality. „In cooperation, they have come to the conclusion that the premises at Kungla 12, Valga town, where the social work service also works, are ideally suited for Perepesa. The premises need to be adapted to the interior design requirements of the Family Centre. The concept of the Valga Family Centre, together with an action plan, has been finalised. We hope that the application will receive a positive response from the ministry and then we can start implementing what we have planned,“ he said. The staff costs of the Perepesa can be applied for from the ESF measure of the Ministry of Social Affairs, while Valga Municipality intends to cover the labour costs of the Perepesa psychologist.
The Perepesa community prevention and family work centre in Valga is currently scheduled to start operating next year.
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