The project

In Soñar Despierto we are fully convinced thatfoster care is the ideal protection measure for the majority of children in residential care and the Family Volunteering project was born in Madrid from the need to make families aware of the reality that thousands of children live very close to their homes.

For several years many volunteers have shared with us their interest in volunteering with their children and, without a doubt, this is the perfect volunteer program for them. 

During this time, we have seen that volunteering as a family is a valuable way to spend time together, learn important values and contribute in a meaningful way to the community and society at large.

Why it is important

The "Family Volunteering"project has a dual function: 

1. To make families aware of a reality (often unknown to them) that is very close to them, with which they can get involved through volunteering and perhaps in the future, through foster care.
2. To allow children growing up in residences to create healthy bonds with a family in a relaxed environment of leisure and fun. This allows them to lose the fear they often have of the family structure, due to situations they may have experienced in the past. 

Bringing families the possibility of volunteering with children in residential foster care is for many of them, the easiest way to approach the world of foster care and, often, a first step to later contact the Administration and encourage them to open their home to a child in a more official way.

How it works

The residences with which we collaborate propose for this program those children who, due to their particular situation, can benefit the most from it and who are eager to enjoy family time.

In the meantime, from Soñar Despierto we will interview the different families that are interested in being part of the program and we will try to make the perfect match to assign a child (in some cases two) to each family.

El programa transcurrirá de enero a junio, con 5 – 6 salidas de ocio (una al mes). Durante las mismas, cada familia disfrutará siempre de la actividad organizada con el menor que les ha sido asignado.

Location

This project is currently only taking place in Madrid , although in Barcelona, we collaborate in the search for partner families for children growing up in residences.