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For the second year running, the club organised a visit to the children’s home where Sister Isabella works. Ten of us eventually sat down for refreshments and listened to Liz as she told us about the work of the CKG De Kleine
Vos. Liz has been with the CKG (Centrum voor Kinderzorg en
Gezinsondersteuning) for thirty years and has the office at the front of the building where she can see all the comings and goings.
Right: Some of the ladies enjoying refreshments.
The CKGs are subsidised by “Kind & Gezin” in Brussels and work together with the sisters at De Kleine
Vos. Their task is to care for children up to 12 years old, where the parents or carers are having problems. In some cases, this help can be offered in
the child’s own home. In other cases, the children come for day care and the parents are encouraged to visit and attend so they can learn how to cope with their problems. In other cases, the children are taken into full residential care. All this is seen as a temporary phase as the target is to keep the family together and get them to stand on their own feet.
Right: A play area in the young children's
section.
Sometimes families are referred to them by the police or social services
but very often the families come themselves because they have heard that help is available. The children can be of various nationalities, although only legal immigrants can be helped.
The home is currently undergoing renovation. Among other things, they have had to renovate their kitchens to comply with the laws regarding commercial premises.
As they are now taking in older children, these have to be kept separate from the younger children and a whole new building is planned in the grounds in the place of an old one that currently stands there. They are having to raise the funds for this entirely by themselves.
Right: The grounds where the new housing will be
built.
After the talk, sister Isabella took us around the home where we saw the youngest children. They were split into two groups. There were plenty of adults looking after them and they seemed very happy. The older children were, of course, at school.
The nuns have their own chapel. At the entrance is a
beautiful stained glass window which was especially made for the home.
Right: The chapel.
Below: The window.
Right and below: More pictures of the children's
home.
After the tour, we stocked up on Christmas presents at give-away prices! It was a very interesting and enjoyable afternoon. |
