State of the art centre to include creche
The Ministry of Education has just approved plans for the building of a creche as part of our state of the art project for at-risk children in Rio de Janeiro. The project is dedicated to improving the lives of those driven to the streets due to dysfunctional families, poverty and neglect. The Mulryan Family Foundation Centre will give these children a home, an education, love and the chance to make a different future for themselves and their families.
In an area which lacks recreational and educational facilities the Centre will also serve impoverished families within the surrounding communities. The creche can cater for up to 230 children from within the project and the local area. This will set the kids on the right path to education while enabling the parents to work whilst the children are in our care. We have partnered with the government for them to operate the creche once it is opened.
The sports, arts and vocational training facilities will also be accessible to youths from the local area. In the longer term we aim to improve health services to the community. For further information on the new project and how it is developing please contact us for a brochure at contact@homelesschild.ie
Official charity of Ireland v Brazil match
The Republic of Ireland face Brazil on the 2nd of March at the Emirates Stadium in London for the Brazilian players’ last chance to stake their claim for a place in the world cup squad in South Africa.
We are very happy to announce that we have been chosen as the official charity for the match and will be carrying out a bucket collection before the game. Whilst the match is a friendly, Brazilian coach Dunga is treating the game as crucial in his decisions as to who will be going to the World Cup and has announced a 22 player squad which includes Adriano, Kaka and Robinho. The game is sure to be a cracker so we hope to see you there!
Ticket information available at Arsenal.com.
Land chosen for village of childrens homes
Homeless Child has been finalising an agreement by the city council in Rio de Janeiro to go ahead with a village of childrens homes and community centre in Guaratiba, in the west zone of Rio de Janeiro.
The project is part of a joint partnership with the Ministry of Social Assistance and Director of Human Rights to develop a long term strategy for caring for street children in Rio de Janeiro.
The project will be structured to include care for children with disabilities and will offer support to the children within the project, their families and the local community.
Finding a name for our new project
Urgent work will begin on finding a name for our new state of the art project being designed in Guaratiba, in the west zone of Rio de Janeiro.
The Mulryan Family Foundation Centre is a mouthful in english let alone in portuguese, so the task will be handed to the local community to come up with something that first off, will be easy to say, but most importantly which captures the essence of the project: to provide shelter, care and love for all children living on the streets as well as support them and their families to improve their lives.
This project will provide children, their families and the local comunity the tools to access a brighter future. More on this as it happens……
Census of children in care in Rio de Janeiro released
The 3rd census of children in shelters in the state of Rio de Janeiro was released at the end of September. The census analysed the statistics of children in shelters as of 30th July 2009.
The total number of children totalled 3358 with 238 organisations/programmes or shelters housing the children.88.15% of the children live in shelters, 5.57% live with a foster family, 2.98 live within a resident school programme, 2.74% in a Monday-Friday shelter and .57% in chemical dependency rehabilitation centres. 7.8% of these children are eligible for adoption.
14.95% of the children are 0-3 years old, 12.27% are 4-6years old, 18.97% are 7-9 years old, 22.84% are 10-12 years old, 20.25% are 13-15 years old and 10.72% are 16-18 years old. Read the rest of this article
This information is taken from Módulo Criança e Adolescente part of the Ministério Público do Estado do Rio de Janeiro.
New adoption law limits time children stay in care
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on the 3rd of August 2009, sanctioned a new Adoption Law. With the new rules, children and teenagers cannot be in care or in shelters for longer than two years, only if authorised expressly by the Courts. Shelters need to be within proximity of the child’s family.
Now, everyone over the age of 18, even if they are single, are eligible to adopt a child or teenager. The only restriction is that the person adopting is at least sixteen years older than the child.
Couples that want to adopt a child need to be legally married or maintain a stable civil union. Adoption for same sex couples is not permitted. To read the rest of this article click here
This information was taken from the law Nº 12.010 sanctioned by the President of the Republic as registered in the Diário Oficial da União.
Homeless Child believes that no child should live in poverty. Every day, children die on the streets in Rio de Janeiro from crack addiction, violence and abuse. Our charity makes a real difference in the lives of Rio's street children. 
