Budapest, July 27, 2004

In July and August, people calling the 1788 Matáv Donation Line on a fixed line will donate 100 HUF with each call for the International Children Safety Service. The civil association intends to use the money collected from the donations for the maintenance and expansion of their therapeutic consulting room in Teréz körút.

The International Children Safety Service was set up in 1990 as a result of international cooperation, in an effort to rescue the orphans kept under inhuman circumstances in the orphanage of Csegőd, near Nagyvárad. The Service operates on a voluntary basis, without regard to religious, political affiliation or nationality. The work of the non-governmental organization is aimed at supporting physically and mentally handicapped children, orphans and others in need of help, improving their living conditions and laying the foundations of their future subsistence. Its charitable activities focus on 12 programs including a health program, a child catering program, a foster parenting program, a legislation support program, a holidaying program, a training and advanced training program, aid consignments, help to and/or cooperation with other organizations, events, an information and guidance program, film, television and photo documentation as well as a Contemporary Art Collection. More detailed information about these programs is available at the homepage www.gyermekmento.hu.

In July and August, people calling the Matáv Donation Line on a fixed telephone will give donations for the maintenance and expansion of the Child Rescue Service's therapeutic consulting room in Teréz körút. Mainly children of kindergarten/junior primary school age with behavioral problems or learning disorders have been treated at this location for three years now. In the everyday life, these children show hyperactivity, constantly come into conflict with the rules, have low performance capacity in comparison to their IQ, and suffer from partial capability problems such as minor motion disorders or disorders of writing, reading and counting at school. The so-called Ayres therapy is used to help these children in a special gym equipped with swing-like tools. Under the guidance of a therapist trained in this method, significant improvement can be reached in the movement of small children and through that, also in their performance and learning abilities.

In addition to motion therapy, developmental and special pedagogical training is also provided in this facility. From September the scope of their professional services will be expanded through the employment of a professional staff trained in child psychotherapy, speech therapy and therapeutic gymnastics. In this way, parents need not take their children to several places but can have a single team working with the family in one place. Until now, the Service could look after 30-40 children in a school year; after the expansion in September this number will increase and/or the staff will be able to spend more time with each child, offering them several therapies.