“The 12th of June 1993 was a day I will never forget, the day that changed the rest of my life, the day that gave me my lifetime goal – to focus all my time and energy towards helping the street children, those large number of children who, down on their luck, could at the time be seen almost everywhere in Bucharest. It was a decision that started with a quest – a search for people who would be willing to share my dreams and aspirations, people who would be willing to invest themselves into this major help effort, with all the frustrations that such a quest usually generates. October 1995 was a turning point. I had the privilege of meeting some extraordinary people from Ireland, people who felt the same way as I did, they felt the pain and suffering of our “lost” children and were ready to share with me their plans towards a better future for those kids. Together we started the Foundation.”

Dr. Viorica Molloy – Foundation President

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   The Foundation “Future for the Romanian Children” (“Viitor Pentru Copiii Romaniei”) was born on April 1998 with a dedicated group of both Romanian and Irish people with a strong desire to help and an equally strong determination to get involved “body and soul” in what we all knew would be long term and very difficult project. Our first task was the creation of a Emergency Day Care Center for the most desperate cases, street children that needed us “now” rather than later. It all started with finding the land and starting the construction of what we all wanted to be the “Center”, a modern site that would offer our kids the safety and love they were deprived of, building the foundation for their own dreams and aspirations, the key to becoming strong members of our renewed society.
To address the “helping now” issue, we started with a rented facility and very modest means. At the time, the number of street children in need of immediate help stood at an estimated figure of 5,000. From our first day on, thousands of them went through our Center, getting medical attention, food, advice and counseling. Everything that could possibly be done for them to either be reintegrated within their own families or placed with specialized centers, was done.

   Today, our Foundation is running one program – A Day Care Center. As the number of street children gradually started to decrease, a new group of children became just as important to our efforts – the preschool age children originating from very poor families, children with a high risk of being either ignored or abandoned by those families.

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  Short History

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   The Foundation “Future for Romanian Children” “St. Joseph’s” House – is an NGO (Non Governmental Organization), not for profit institution, established as a juridical entity in April 1998.

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• 1998 – The Foundation opens, in a rented space, a Day Care Center for street children, offering social, medical and educational assistance;

• may 1998 – The Foundation acquires a 5,000 sq. meter land property;

• 2000 – The first Residential and Day Care Center is built;

• 2000-2003 – The foundation has worked in parallel with three programs:

• A Placement Center for abandoned street children and/or for children of disfranchised families unable to care for them. Number of beneficiaries: 32

• Center for mothers of children in the 1st program: Number of beneficiaries: 8

• The Day Care Center: social, medical and educational assistance for an estimated 3,000 street children

• 2003 – As a result of a significant reduction in the number of abandoned street children a priority shift occurs towards helping preschool age children originating from very poor families, children with a high risk of being either ignored or abandoned by those families;

• 2005 – The Foundation receives certification as an Education Provider for both the Placement Center and its Day Care Center;

• 2008 – The Foundation is recertified as an Education Provider for both the Placement Center and its Day Care Center;

• 2011 – The residential center closes the gates due to the lack of funds, the Day Care center activity remains the same.

Brian Patrick Geary

 Vice President