Child care projects in Haiti.
Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. With a turbulent history of political instability and mismanagement of resources, the government provides only limited social services to a population of eight million people. The ongoing political and economic crisis, exacerbated by severe ecological deterioration, has had a devastating impact on the ability of families to parent their children. Compounding this situation is that Haiti has the hemisphere’s highest rate of HIV/AIDS.
There are a variety of successful comprehensive child welfare programs which assist orphans and vulnerable children in Port-au-Prince and other major cities in Haiti. However, few concentrate services in the rural sector. Holt is partnering with the Hope for Haiti Foundation (HHF) to develop a broad-based child welfare program in Haiti, in the Cote des Arcadins region centered around Montrouis. This is a region in serious decline with the collapse of the tourist industry that used to support the area.
The Fontana family, who are the founders of HHF, have worked in Haiti for over 10 years. After seeing so many at-risk children in the country, the Fontanas decided that they would help some of these homeless children. The Fontanas asked Holt to assist them in developing a model child welfare program.
The Fontanas constructed the Children’s Village outside the town of Montrouis. The Village is comprised of five well-constructed houses, an office/clinic building and a kitchen. The facility is self-contained with a fully functional solar power system and private water source. Holt is providing the support and expertise needed to develop a comprehensive service program for children which will use the Village as the center of child welfare activities. The joint program is called the Holt Fontana Children's Village.
The major purpose of the Holt Fontana program is to identify at-risk and homeless children who can benefit from permanency planning services. Efforts will focus on abandoned and at-risk children from areas around St. Marc and Montrouis who can be placed in adoption. Family Preservation services will be developed to strengthen families that are at risk of giving up their children. Medical assistance, school sponsorship and the development of income generating activities are a few of the ways that at-risk families and their children will be assisted.
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