Hope and Homes for Children and MaxBet build the first Respiro Centre for children with disabilities in Iasi, an investment of 550,000 euro

Hope and Homes for Children will build in Iasi, with MaxBet support, the first Respiro centre in the county for children with mild, medium and severe disabilities. With an investment of €550,000, the centre will have a capacity of 12 places and will provide integrated care and rehabilitation services for children and young people aged 0 to 18, as well as counselling and guidance for their families. The centre will be opened in 2025, and in 10 years more than 3000 children from Iasi and neighbouring counties and their parents will benefit from services aimed at preventing children from institutionalisation.

The Respiro Centre will be built in partnership with the Iasi County Council and the Iasi DGASPC, which will provide the land on which the centre will be built, as well as the staff - specialists (physiotherapists, nurses, psychologists, psycho-pedagogues, social workers) and care, education and supervision staff (nurses, educators, cooks), while MaxBet will provide full funding for the construction and equipping of the centre. Once completed and equipped with specialised furniture and equipment, the centre will be donated by the Foundation and will become the property of the local partners. At present, there are more than 3,300 children and young people with disabilities living in Iasi county, of whom almost 500 are in foster care (with relatives, foster carers or residential care) and 2,800 in biological families.

With the completion of the Respiro Centre built with MaxBet support, children and young people with special needs will benefit from accommodation, meals, supervision and care by specialised staff, physiotherapy, psychological counselling, occupational therapy, social work, speech therapy, socialisation, education, habilitation/rehabilitation, recreation and emotional support. The centre will also provide counselling, guidance and support for parents and carers of children.

"The worst feeling is to feel like you have no chance, no reference points, no hope that tomorrow can be better because you have nowhere to turn for help. The passion with which Hope and Homes for Children presented us with the story of these children with disabilities and so many needs convinced us to do our part to make a difference. Pragmatically, this center brings a glimmer of hope into the lives of so many people who are exhausted by the hardships of raising a child with special needs, by the financial burden, by the fact that society has no time for them and their needs. It's a breath of fresh air for mothers who are struggling to hold down a job and at the same time provide the affection and care a child needs, never mind the physical or mental problems caused by disabilities. The investment made by MaxBet is not a drop in the ocean, it's just a first step, it's an example that I hope other companies will follow. Brick by brick, donation by donation, these people are getting real support so that their families don't fall apart, so that they don't give up their children. This donation is also made on behalf of MaxBet employees, people who have families of their own and know first-hand how difficult it is to manage to devote enough time to their personal lives, while at the same time pursuing career development. The 550,000 euros invested in this centre are really an investment on behalf of the society we live in, for the society that has not had time to hear the stories of their fellow human beings", said Ioana Bazavan, General Manager of MaxBet Romania.

The Respiro Centre will provide accommodation for a maximum of 20 days for children with all types and degrees of disability, so that parents/carers can have a period of rest to avoid periods of exhaustion that can lead to the decision of long-term institutionalisation of children. At the same time, parents will receive guidance, counselling and support to improve their care capacity.

"For more than 20 years, we have been one of the largest investors in the development of infrastructure for child protection in Romania. We have built and have operational 116 family homes, two transit centres, maternal centres and we are working on the development of a community centre. This latest investment -- the Respiro Centre -- responds to an equally acute need. One of the reasons why children with special needs end up in the system is also because their parents or carers don't have a moment's respite to deal with other problems or simply to get some rest. At the Respiro Centre, children will be able to continue their therapies and receive the care they need during the short periods when their parents cannot be physically present. Without being able to take a little break from the continuous effort of caring for a child with a disability, the burden becomes so overwhelming that parents are sometimes forced to institutionalize their children. A Respiro-type centre is just the valve they so desperately need to keep going and keep their children at home. In this way, we offer a new kind of support, with medium and long-term impact, through which we are confident we will save children and parents from the trauma and pain of separation." says Robert Ion, Director of Fundraising and Communications, Hope and Homes for Children Romania

The Respiro Centre in Iasi is the first centre of its kind built by Hope and Homes for Children as part of interventions to support vulnerable children - by closing old-style centres and building family homes, as well as through the Prevention of Child Separation from Family programme, so that as children are removed from orphanages, others do not take their place.

The latest Hope and Homes for Children campaign raises the alarm about the still large number of children, 3810, living in 141 foster homes in Romania. Say #I'mHere and see the campaign's manifesto message here

Founded in 2002, MaxBet Romania is a market leader in the gambling industry with 1400 employees and 117 locations in 15 cities. MaxBet Romania has distinguished itself nationally through social responsibility projects, culminating in the construction of the only medical heliport in Bucharest, an investment of over 1 million euros. In total, MaxBet has allocated over 3.4 million euros to CSR projects, with a focus on excellence and innovation in Romanian medicine and improving conditions in the medical system.

The company will continue to implement innovative social responsibility projects and develop new ESG projects with a focus on nature conservation, consideration of human relations and corporate governance. MaxBet aims to directly contribute to the strengthening and maturing of the gambling industry, educating customers and supporting projects and values of social responsibility and accountability among customers. More information is available at www.maxbetgroup.ro/csr.

Hope and Homes for Children has been active in Romania since 1998, and since then and until the end of 2021, the Foundation has directly or indirectly contributed to the closure of 63 old-type foster homes (orphanages), while another 10 are in the process of closing. Through the services developed by Hope and Homes for Children, children move from institutional care where they do not receive individual attention and affection, to systems based on the family concept, including family homes, which allow them a life close to normality. Through the efforts of the Foundation and its partners, 116 homes and 8 family apartments have been developed, with 6,747 children removed from orphanages and approximately 1,800 reintegrated into their natural or extended families.

At the same time, the Foundation works intensively to prevent the separation of children from their families, intervening with the necessary means to support families where the risk of abandonment of children is high. As a result, 37,969 children have been saved from family break-up and 2140 young people have been directly supported towards an independent life. Over 9,600 child protection staff have been trained by Hope and Homes for Children to date.

More than 63,000 children have benefited from the services of Hope and Homes for Children Romania, which aims to eliminate institutionalisation of children in our country by 2027. To date, Hope and Homes for Children has invested over €35 million in reforming the child protection system, closing old-style institutions, reintegrating children into their natural or extended families, placing them in the care of professional foster carers or moving them into family homes. More information on www.hopeandhomes.ro./