World Vision is successfully preventing some 60 children a year from being ‘warehoused’ in children’s institutions. Due to extreme poverty and social reasons some mothers are forced to abandon their infants to institutions without proper care and love. For mothers with infants who started a job or opened a small business with support from World Vision, there are no day-care facilities for infants. In order to make a decent living, mothers need an income, but cannot afford child care. Many young mothers are thrown out of their family and social environment because of their pregnancy outside of wedlock. World Vision also sees a need to prevent mothers from placing their children into ‘temporary’ institutional care as these children often remain in the institution indefinitely.

World Vision would like to establish a professional day care centre for 15-20 infants aged 0-1 with its own (international) standards of care and a clear focus on the best interest of the child.

Approximately ten staff members will be recruited among young mothers themselves, so that they can obtain an income and care for their children at the same time.

The day care project will also recruit from Tbilisi Infant House, which contributes to a smoother transition from ‘old to new care giving’.

The building will be provided by the government of Georgia and World Vision will provide for rehabilitation costs, equipment, salaries and staff training. The government will evaluate the project and then take over and replicate the model in other locations.