Children in Kosovo, particularly those in street situations, remain among the most vulnerable groups in society, facing deep and persistent poverty-related exclusion and multiple rights violations. Poverty is the main driver pushing children into street involvement, often linked to family survival strategies such as begging or informal work. Many children report that their earnings are essential for household survival.
These children are exposed to significant risks, including exploitation, violence, neglect, and limited access to essential services such as education and healthcare. Only about one in four children in street situations is currently attending school, reflecting the scale of exclusion and barriers they face in accessing their basic rights.
To respond to these protection risks, Terre des hommes Kosovo, in close partnership with local municipalities, operates specialised Children’s Day Care Centres that provide immediate protection, holistic support, and structured pathways back into education, services, and community life. The approach combines daily direct services, outreach, and comprehensive case management, while ensuring systematic linkage to public child protection and social services for both urgent support and longer-term reintegration.
Our impact in 2025
Establishing the Day Care Centres in Prishtina and Prizren
The Children’s Day Care Centre in Prishtina has been operating since November 2019, established through collaboration between Terre des hommes Kosovo and the Municipality of Prishtina. The Children’s Day Care Centre in Prizren was opened in October 2023 by Tdh in partnership with the Municipality of Prizren.
Both Centres provide a warm, safe, and child-friendly environment where children feel protected, respected, and listened to. They are based on a specialised service model designed for children in street situations, as well as children who are victims of violence, including sexual abuse, and other children in need of protection.
Daily services and individualised support
Services are provided on a daily basis, using a child-centred approach where each child chooses the activities and services they wish to engage in. The Centres respond to both immediate needs and longer-term developmental needs of children and their families, creating a stabilising environment that supports recovery, resilience, and social reintegration.
Daily services include nutritious meals, structured play and recreational activities, educational support, psychosocial support, individual and group counselling, career guidance and positive parenting sessions for caregivers, as well as coordination in case management.
Each Centre is staffed by a multidisciplinary team composed of social workers, psychologists, educators/support teachers, mobile outreach workers, a centre coordinator, and an assistant. The team works collaboratively to ensure continuous monitoring, individualised support planning, and effective referral pathways for each child and family within the broader child protection system.
Connecting children to essential public services
The Centres strengthen coordination within the child protection system by improving information-sharing among service providers and building trust between professionals and families. In parallel, they function as a critical bridge connecting children to essential public services, including education, healthcare, psychosocial support, and other protection mechanisms.
This integrated approach ensures that children are not only supported within a safe, protective environment but are also progressively reintegrated into formal systems of care, education, and long-term opportunity.
The Children’s Day Centres significantly contribute to the child protection system by investing in and supporting children in need of services.
