Children’s Crisis Centres are government or local council sponsored units, where children that have suffered from emotional and physical, including sexual, abuse, can live for several weeks before their future is decided – to return to their parents or to join one of the Latvian orphanages. Some of the centres also support teenage mums and women who have suffered from domestic violence.

The centres that support almost 2,500 children and women every year (half of whom find temporary refuge in the centres) are seriously under-financed.

Read recent interviews with the heads of crisis centres and Latvian press reporting on children and families that have had to seek help in crisis centres:
– children who have suffered from sexual abuse (http://www.delfi.lv/news/national/criminal/patevs-atzinies-seksuala-vardarbiba-pret-zidaini-koknese.d?id=47017165)
– children who have suffered from physical abuse (http://www.tvnet.lv/zinas/kriminalzinas/432127-iespejams_vecaki_delu_nogalinajusi_apesta_ievarijuma_del)
– young mothers and their newborns in crisis (http://www.tvnet.lv/zinas/latvija/476021-riga_socialais_dienests_iesaka_no_majam_izliktai_maminai_ar_zidaini_prasit_ziedojumus)

Latvian State TV channel broadcasted a story “After crisis. Videostory about rehabilitation of children and families that have suffered from violence“. It features some of the crisis centres that GfL has helped too.

Crisis centres that GfL supports

–         Zante crisis centre for families, Kandava region

–         Crisis centre for families with children “Paspārne”, Ventspils

–         Latgale regional support centre “Rasas pērles”, Rugaju region

–         Talsu region crisis centre, Talsi

–         Vidzeme regional support centre “Valdardze”, Valmiera

–         Dobele Social Services Centre, support centre for families, Dobele

–         Allažu support centre for children and families, Sigulda region

–         Crisis centre for children and women “Māras centrs“, Riga

–         Crisis centre “Laipas“, Ogre region

–         “Zvannieki” house, Cesis region

–         Crisis centre for families „Dzeguzīte”, Koknese region

–         Crisis centre for women „Mīlgāvis“, Riga

–         Crisis centre “Marsa Gatve“, Riga

–         SOS Children’s villages Latvia

We also support:

School for children with special needs:

–         Riga School for Children with Special Needs No1, Riga

Orphanage:

–         “Strazdes” orphanage, Talsi

Support centre for orphaned teenagers

–         “Dzivesprieks“, Kandava region

Other charities in Latvia:

– SOS Children’s Villages Latvia

Thanks to generous donations starting from 2016 we have been able to organize broader grant competitions and also support many more smaller rural charities that care for disadvantaged and special needs children and families across Latvia.