Lithuania is among a lot of states of the world that has ratified UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, other international law acts and has assumed obligations, which state that the best surroundings for a child to grow is family, and in the case of wardship – foster in family environment. However, families in Lithuania are unwilling and indecisive to patronize a child, thus mostly they choose the stationary wardship of the child in the foster home. Children, arriving at foster home, usually have heavy psychological problems and various behavior disorders; they feel the lack of social abilities and experience difficulty in taking over the family values. Therefore, foster homes have to provide as good living conditions as possible for such children. They have to ensure the quality of services they provide and to create the right surroundings for the upbringing of independent and educated person. Still, most of the foster homes cannot meet these requirements since they are situated in old buildings that are not fitted to such use and need a lot of funding for their repair.

NGO Viesoji istaiga Marijampoles vaiko teviskes namai home is one the institutions in Marijampole and its surrounding districts that accommodates the biggest number of children (about 1/3).  The children‘s family home is created after the unique Western Countries model – children live in separate small houses with mother-patroness, who tries to substitute the real mother. Together they learn how to do housework and have a perfect surroundings for self-expression, intelectual, spiritual and creative development.

Foster home complex, which is made of 11 small family houses, was built in 1992-1997. Since that time no complete renovation was made and the ongoing renovation does not provide safe and healthy environment for children, living in a family home.

Children, situated in Marijampole children‘s family home experience constant discomfort because of their living conditions concerning extremely bad state of the houses they live in. Also, because of the bad working conditions, the employees of the foster home cannot secure the quality of the services they provide for children, they cannot give enough attention for solving the problems of children and youth. The main problems of the children‘s family home are the following: low efficiency of energy consumption, annually growing expenses on heating, electric power, renovation works and medicines, constant discomfort of children, living in foster home, high morbidity of children and employees, repeated cases of allergic diseases, lack of children‘s safety, negative and unfavourable attitude towards children living in child care institutions.

With taking into consideration the bad and dangerous living conditions of children, the unavailability of stationary wardship establishments in Marijampole and its districts and the growing need for these services, public institution “Marijampole children‘s family home initiates the project „Renovation of Marijampolė children‘s family home“ hoping that it will help to secure children’s right to safe and healthy environment, develop them as independent and competent individuals, encourage their integration into community and provide the basis for their future.

Main problems of Marijampolė children‘s family home that have emerged while formulating the concept of the project are the following:

  • Children living in foster home feel the constant lack of comfort;
  • Lack of children’s safety;
  • High morbidity of children and employees of this institution, repeated cases of allergic diseases;
  • Low efficiency of energy consumption, constantly growing expenses on heating, electric power, renovation works and medicines;
  • Negative and unfavourable attitude towards children and teenagers living in child care institutions.
„Renovation of Marijampole children‘s family home“ project will help to solve the above mentioned problems. Good living and optimal working conditions for children and employees will provide opportunities for successfull development of children‘s socials skills, they will be better prepared for substantive life. After the implementation of the project children will live in a healthy and safe environment,  it will be a good basis for their emotional stability and will contribute to their health care as well as to the formation of their physical and mental strength. Thanks to this project higher percentage of children will be successfully integrated into community thus the project will help to push the community towards changing their attitude to institutional child care and to children living in child care institutions.
General objective of the project – encourage successful integration into community of children living in foster home.
Objective of the project, that will help to implement the general long-term objective is the renovation of Marijampole children‘s family home, while trying to improve the quality of children‘s living.
Main purposive groups of the project are the following:
  • the children, living in Marijampole children‘s family home (at this time 98 children and youth living);
  • the employees of the children foster homes (at present there are 31 of them);

Expected results of “Renovation of Marijampole children’s family home” project:

  • renovation of 11 small houses inhabited by 98 children in Marijampole children‘s family home;
  • creation and maintenance of the Marijampole children‘s family home Internet Website, herein the information about the course of the project and the essential events of the project will be announced.
  • While trying to achieve expected results, in process of preparation of „Renovation of Marijampole children‘s family home“ project, we were looking for the best technical solutions of project implementation. Several alternatives were analysed:

Alternative I. Closing of the project.

Alternative II. Partial project – renovation of 8 houses in Marijampole children‘s family home;

Alternative III. Entire project – renovation of 11 houses in Marijampole children‘s family home.

Alternative III “Complete renovation of Marijampole children‘s family home” was evaluated as the most realistic and the most optimal alternative of project implementation. Selection of this alternative is an effective solution, while trying to improve children’s living conditions in Marijampole children’s family home, to increase efficiency of energy consumption there and to create safe and comfortable home for children, by helping them to develop their independence and education. The social aspect of the project will allow rendering of qualitative and high-level social services. The implementation of the third alternative is also useful looking from the economic point of view – the support, allocated by EES’ and the Norwegian financial mechanisms will improve the general economic level and decrease the expenses of children’s family home exploitation. Saved resources could be used to meet other requirements of children. The economic net present value of this alternative is 1.986.942 Lt and the internal rate of return equals 26,76 %. These economic rates show that the third alternative will generate a positive social-economic benefit for children living in the Marijampole children’s family home, for the district of Marijampole and its dwellers.

In course of implementation of the “Renovation of Marijampole children‘s family home“ project, these renovation works will be carried out:
  • ground works (insulating the strip foundation);
  • insulation of outdoor walls;
  • insulation of the roof from inside;
  • inside decoration of attic floors;
  • facade decoration works;
  • replacement of windows and front door;
  • replacement of wooden stairs and balcony railing;
  • replacement of rain drainage system.

Established managerial structure of the project and adequate qualifications of each member of the project group will ensure qualitative implementation of project’s activities according to the schedule and will provide with possibilities to achieve expected results. Project management group will carry out the successful implementation of the project and will solve problems arising in a course of project implementation. This group will consist of persons, delegated by the applicant of the project. Group is composed out of project manager, accountant and the experts of the consultancy company chosen in the public tender (project administrator).

Estimated duration of the project “Renovation of Marijampole children’s family home” is 12 months. Planned beginning of project implementation - July of 2009, planned end – July of 2010.

Overall cost of the project - 818 076 EUR (VAT included), 695 364 EUR (85 %) of it amounts to the sum that EES’ and Norwegian financial mechanisms are asked to allocate. State budget of the Republic of Lithuania will be asked to render the remainder of expenses – 122 712 EUR (15 % of overall cost of the project).

In the process of the project implementation, these activities are to be implemented: project management, project audit, giving publicity to the project, renovation works of children’s home (renovation works, technical supervision of renovation works and supervision of building execution project implementation).

“Renovation of Marijampole children‘s home project“, under initiative of public company Marijampole children‘s family home, meets the requirements of Health and childcare sphere, jointly financed by EES’ and Norwegian Financial Mechanisms and appears among the priority of financially supported spheres of the EES’ and Norwegian Financial Mechanisms singled out by the Republic of Lithuania – Renovation of children foster home and development of rendering social services in the municipalities, for children deprived of parents’ care. Thus, in order to guarantee successful implementation, we have decided to take the opportunity to use financial support of EES and Norwegian Financial Mechanisms.

The project complies with the requirements of Ministry of social security and labour of Republic of Lithuania, municipality and district of Marijampole and the needs of community as well as strategic tendencies of the country. The project under implementation meets the requirements of national legislation and also complies with the European Union legislation which regulates social security, regulations and prerogatives.

While drafting the budget of the project “Renovation of Marijampole children’s family home”, all the costs were calculated according to the current market prices taking into account possible rise of price for intended works and services rendered. Costs for the renovation of 11 houses in the process of the project implementation are calculated in accordance to the estimate and technical aspect of the project. Costs for project administration are calculated according to the analogous prices in today‘s consultancy companies market. Costs for the final audit are calculated in accordance to the analogous prices in today‘s audit companies market and the information provided by the Audit Chamber. In the plan of giving publicity to the project the estimated publicity measures‘ price are calculated according to the received commercial offers.

Project applicant is a non-buying organization, thus the public procurement of the project will be executed in accordance to the Law on Public Procurement of the Republic of Lithuania and the Order, issued by the Minister of finance of the Republic of Lithuania, “On adoption of sale rules of EU economic space financial mechanism and Norwegian financial mechanisms support receivers”, adopted on May 11, 2006, No 1K-189, rules and other legal acts defining this field.

Before beginning the public procurement, commission formed by Marijampole children’s family home will make a procurement plan for non-buying companies and will coordinate this plan with implementing institution, i.e. the CPMA. In the process of preparing and coordinating the procurement documentation, project applicant will follow the exemplary procurement documentation formulated by CPMA.

In the process of project, these contests will be organized and contracts signed for: project administration, project audit, publicity to the project, technical supervision of renovation works, supervision of building project execution, renovation works.

The beneficiary of support – public institution Marijampole children‘s family home is responsible for the legitimacy of rendering of services and goods and execution of jobs.