ABOUT STREP – CIVIL ASSOCIATION

1. Mission

Mission, philosophy and objectives of STŘEP

The STREP civic association (AssistanceCenter for Children and Families) is a non-government, non-profit organization whose activities aim to protect and help children who are endangered by the malfunction of their own family.
Research carried out in the Czech Republic, as well as practical experience with families in risk situations show that there is an empty space in the network of social work in terms of remediation of the original family. According to specialized magazines and papers, about 2 000 children per year are placed in a social institution, with the most frequent reasons being the social ones (28 %).
Although the risks and consequences of psychiatric deprivation in children whose healthy development has been disrupted due to family malfunction or due to their stay at infants’ or children’s homes are known, the most frequent form of providing care and help to endangered children is through institutional care.
There is no complex program for working with parents who neglect their children‘s care in the Czech Republic. Practical experience shows that repressive measures against the parent „culprits“ are not effective enough, unless they are part of a complex assistance program.
Through its activities STREP offers an alternative program to conventional state administrative procedures in helping children and their families who are in danger of malfunction.
STREP’s mission is to provide and expand social services to children and their families who, without help, would be placed in one of the social institutions in this country, to participate in the expansion and professionalization of services provided by non-government bodies in working with families in danger, to enforce the idea of assistance to and support of such families through legislation in conjunction with the process of transformation of Czech social policy and to cooperate on its amendments. Last but not least, STREP sees its role in supporting the development of a positive, pro-family climate in our society.
2. Report on STREP activities
The activities of STREP in 1999 were mainly focused on the following programs:
-Family accompaniment – an alternative to placing children outside their homes
-Let`s Give Chance a Chance
-Volunteer program
-Educational and informative program
-Legislative changes
3. Members of Administrative Bodies
Board of Directors
Chairwoman:
PhDr. Helena Chvátalová – publicist, scriptwriter
Members:
PhDr. Lena Andová – psychologist
Věra Bechyňová, DiS. – sociotherapeutist, scriptwriter
Mgr. Božena Hrnčířová – pedagogue
Bc. Tereza Pacltová – social educator
Revision Committee - chairwoman:
Terezie Pemová, DiS.
Expert Consultants
MUDr. Mária Balcarová - Head of the Clinic of Children’s Psychiatry of Thomayer’s University Hospital
MUDr. Anna Pacltová - pediatrician
PhDr. Zofia Toužimská, CSc.- children’s psychologist
Professional guarantor:
JUDr. Jana Chalupová - Director of Public Relations at the Presidential Office
Supervisor:
PhDr. Zdeněk Rieger - psychologist, accredited supervisor
Members of the internal multidisciplinary team of projects
Věra Bechyňová, DiS. - Director, sociotherapeutist, supervisor,
Terezie Pemová, DiS. – Assistant Director, coordinator, sociotherapeutist
Mgr. Marta Sušická - social educator
Monika Dudková - sociotherapeutist
Volunteers.