The centre for family support "Help for Self-help" assumes as its mission the prevention of child nursing in institutions. We consider that children should be brought up by relatives who love them and take good care of them. The purpose of our Centre is to render support and assistance to families in a state of crisis- young mothers who are compelled to leave their babies in an institution, because they have no opportunity to bring them up by themselves; single parents who need help for the bringing up of their children; families facing difficulties with the bringing up and education of their children. Although the main target groups are single mothers, we consider that the name Centre for Family Support is suitable, because, on the one hand, a mother and her baby are already a family and, on the other hand, we want to avoid stigmatization of clients. The Centre has a capacity for sheltering 7-8 mothers and their babies. The other services are offered to all who need them. The Centre provides the following services:

• Shelter- the opportunity for the mothers to live in the Centre together with her baby, to use the kitchen and the sitting room. Part of the expenses is covered by the mothers themselves. The mothers can use this service of the Centre for no more than six months. The terms for stay in the Centre are contracted between the Centre and the client in a written agreement.
• Informing and counseling- legal, health, social and pedagogical, professional and educational. The services are offered by different members of the Center's team and of the multidisciplinary team depending on the needs assessment and on the adopted individual plan.
• Mediation- family mediation, employment mediation. The service is provided by members of the team.
• Programs for social competence development- skills for nursing and educating the child; skills for problems solution; skills for looking for job; skills for communication and interpersonally cooperation. The programs are realized through working in a group with participants clients of the Centre. The group is led by trained members of the team.