Holidaymaking in Bialystok

The children under the Lithuanian Children’s Homes’ care will again be able to go for holiday to Poland. The association called “The Open house” (pl. Otwarty Dom) based in Bialystok has obtained permission from the Lithuanian authorities. The organisation is now getting ready for the vacation action of which a part will be inviting kids from Lithuanian Children’s Homes. The foster kids will be able to spend time in camps organised by Caritas, as well as with families. To be eligible to go for the holiday to Poland, children whose parents do not have parental rights will have to be over 7 years of age. “Thanks to the fact that was have set up a deal with the Children’s Homes in Podbrodzie and Niemeczyn, kids from those places will be able to spend their holiday in the Podlasie region of Poland” – said the president of the association, Irena Stankiewicz.

Since more than ten years, the Open House association from Bialystok has been organising holidays for kids from Lithuania. Children from Podbrodzie, Niemeczyn or Nowa Wilejka in Lithuania, have up to now been spending their summer break, Christmas and Easter with families in the Podlasie region. Usually, about 40 kids came over. During such visits, there have been trips organised for the children, for example to Warsaw. Medical care such as dental care has been provided by the association, too.
The Lithuanian Ministry for Work and Pensions has introduced changes to the rules regarding children’s who are in Children’s Homes, trips outside of their usual place of residence. The changes have been made on the 28^th of December last year.

http://www.wilnoteka.lt/pl/artykul/na-wakacje-do-bialegostoku 

Tłumaczenie Kamil Szwarc w ramach praktyk w Europejskiej Fundacji Praw Człowieka, www.efhr.eu. Translated by Kamil Szwarc within the framework of a traineeship programme of the European Foundation of Human Rights, www.efhr.eu.