How we started?

Association Nova generacija is established through commitment and protection of children's rights with a focus on combating violence against children. Members of the Association recognised the major problems faced by the children of Banja Luka and initiated projects and programs in the field of children's rights. One of the programs that has been established is the Day care center for children and it was established by the Association Nova generacija in 2011. Our work is supported by the partners: PI "Centre for Social Work" Banja Luka and Save the Children International.

Our target group

The service users of the Day Care Centre are children whose development is hindered by family circumstances, precisely the children who within their families experienced physical, psychological and/or sexual abuse or negligence by their parents/guardians. Another target group is children who are living and working on the streets and who are in the need for support and help.

Our principles

Main principles in the Day Care Centre:
• The principle of voluntariness - children completely voluntary use the services provided;
• The principle of trust –our work is based on the trust that has been established between the children and the staff, volunteers and associates, as well as information confidentiality;
• The principle of participation - children are provided the conditions in which they can express their views and to have their views taken into account in all matters and activities that directly concern them.

Our activities

The day center provides a safe place for children, where appropriate actions are taken in order to help with the urgent problem of the child. We are providing access to social services, health care and educational system. We promote and seek to protect children's rights with psychosocial support and other services that are important to meet the needs of children.

Our approach in the Day Center is based on counseling, supportive and educational methods of working to overcome traumatic and/or highly stressful life experiences of children, and to empower children to become active agents in their lives. Staff and volunteers in the Day care center are trained to work with children, especially with children from vulnerable and high risk groups. They are obligated to respect the Child Protection Policy of the Association Nova generacija.

Staff of the Day Care Centre cooperates with PI "Centre for Social Work" Banja Luka, primary and secondary schools that the users attending, and civil society organizations from the local community. We also see the importance in working with the social networks and support systems of the children.

In a safe and protective environment in the Day Care Centre we seek to meet the needs of children: • their basic needs (at least two meals a day, hygienic needs and getting clean clothes and shoes, access to health care and social protection);
• their safety needs (children are in a safe place under the supervision of trained professionals who have developed a relationship of trust with children);
• their needs for love and belongingness (children are included in the peer group and for them to have the experience of belonging, staying in a safe place where they are unconditionally accepted);
• their esteem needs (through psychosocial support and participation in workshops, we are helping the children to empower themselves and to build a positive image of themselves and others);
• their need for self-actualization (through creative workshops and activities for children we created the conditions to discover and develop their talents and skills).

We organize activities outside the Day Care Center, with the initiatives from the children. Children regularly go to the city's Olympic pool and during the summer to a nearby park where we organize sports and recreational activities. We organize at least two trips to famous holiday resorts every year, and children have an active role in planning these trips. Children visit the theater and cinema and also have many other activities.

Our results...

From 2011 more than 400 children are provided with at least one service of the Day Care Centre.

Annually over 130 children benefit from the Day Care Centre services, while the average number of children that use our services on a monthly basis is from 35 to 40.

Many child protection professionals and other relevant parties from various institutions and civil society organisations are introduced with the work of the Day Care Center.

Knowledge about child protection and the Day Care Center has also increased among children and parents/guardians, as well as citizens from the city of Banja Luka and throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina.

We cooperate with the elementary and secondary schools in Banja Luka. We have become an important link in the system of child protection and support network.

We actively promote volunteerism – volunteers have an important role in the Day Care Centre in many activities. From 2011 Day Care Center has had over 50 volunteers.

Association Nova Generacija took part in the process of creating the Minimum Standards of Day Care Centers for The Children Living and Working on the Streets in Bosnia and Herzegovina and process of creating the Minimum Standards and specification service of field work in Bosnia and Herzegovina. These Standards are applied into the work of the Day Care Centre in order to provide services with good quality. We have developed cooperation with PI "Centre for Social Work" Banja Luka, and we are in the process of registering a Day Care Centre in accordance with the Law on Social Protection of the Republic of Srpska.

Day Care Center is open every working day from 9:00 to 19:00 PM (Day care center is closed during weekends).