Eight children aged four to 17, seven teachers and an economist – the “Krone” – visited a shared flat of the SOS Children’s Village in Floridsdorf. A lot has changed since the first SOS Children’s Village family in 1949 in the Tyrolean town of Imst: from the reasons why the children cannot be with the family to the different forms of living and care.
There are various reasons why children and young people cannot or are not allowed to grow up with their parents. In 2022, there were more than 12,000 reports of suspected child threats in Vienna. The most common reasons are suspicion of neglect and violence. If the children are then removed from the family by child and youth care and it is not possible to return them, they will find a new home in SOS Kinderdorp.
She doesn’t like math
Just like Lisa. The 11-year-old enjoys going to school, although she doesn’t like math. She prefers to write fantasy stories. Together with seven other children between the ages of four and 17, she lives in a shared apartment in a 200 square meter apartment in an ordinary apartment building in Floridsdorf. They are cared for 24 hours a day by two of the seven teachers. In addition, there is an economist who takes care of the shopping and cooking.
Overcome crises with humour
One of the pedagogues of Lisa’s living group is Katharina Führer. The 27-year-old has been working here for five years. “You have to be structured, loving and understanding. And you have to have a sense of humor,” she says. “And being able to handle the needs of different children with different crises,” adds Katharina Dusanek, education director of two flats.
pity, but not pity
The caretakers know the children’s stories about why they are here. Does that affect you? “You have pity, but no pity,” says the Fuehrer. You are a companion for a certain period of time, during which you try to grab some bricks from the heavy backpack that the children have to carry. And the time for that is not too long, because at 18 the children have to stand on their own two feet. Contact is not maintained.
“That’s the professional attitude. Of course it’s sometimes easier, sometimes harder. But we take care of the kids part of their way. Then it’s over,” reports Dusanek. Until then, the Führer wants to teach her protégés to take care of themselves and to live self-determined. If one child leaves a part of the flat, the next one is already waiting for a place.
The most beautiful farewell, however, is the farewell in which the children return to their own families. “That is our biggest goal. And sometimes it happens,” confirms Dusanek. Erwin Roßmann, head of the SOS Children’s Village in Vienna, confirms this in an interview.
How can you imagine the SOS Children’s Village in Vienna?
The classic SOS Kinderdorp family is only one part, in fact there is only one. In Vienna, 250 children and young people have found a home with us. Most live in guarded flats. In the family town hall in Floridsdorf, for example, we offer a youth club, the outpatient clinic for child and adolescent psychiatry and a sanatorium class for students with particularly high care needs. We also provide preventive care for 900 children. When working mobile with parents, we also support the mothers and fathers of the children who live in the SOS Children’s Village. We also offer parent-child living, because the highest priority is of course that the family stays together.
Why do children come to the SOS Children’s Village?
That is different. The most common reasons are violence, psychological, physical and sexual, neglect and the so-called new poverty. Contrary to the past, 99 percent of the children are not orphans.
Will the children also return to their families?
Absolutely, and that’s our goal too. Parents remain parents, even if a child lives in the SOS Children’s Village. That is why contact with the family of origin is very important: from short telephone calls to visits at the weekend. At some point, the child will ask the question: Why am I here? And this question is easier to answer with the parents.
Who decides which children come to you?
That is what the city’s child and youth care services do.
Has the number of admitted children increased?
There are currently 4,000 children in full care in Vienna. There were so many 15 years ago. But if you look at population growth, that number has decreased. At the same time, however, the mobile offer has increased. Since we started working with parents, the number of children who can go back has increased.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
