Therapeutic Camp 2025 - Real Support for Children

Dear GlobalGiving Community,

Thank you for supporting our Winter Therapeutic Camp for young people leaving foster care and residential institutions in Poland. The camp has already taken place, but its impact did not end when participants returned home. For 28 young people aged 17–22, this 7-day program created something many of them rarely experience: a calm, structured, and supportive environment where they could rest, be heard, and begin preparing for independence with professional guidance.

During the camp, participants worked with a team of 6 specialists, including psychologists, educators, and mentors. They took part in therapeutic group sessions focused on emotions, relationships, trust, and coping mechanisms. Each participant also had access to individual psychological support. Alongside the therapeutic work, we organized practical workshops on managing a personal budget, looking for employment, planning daily responsibilities, cooperation, and decision-making — all essential skills for young people who are entering adulthood without a stable family support network.

One participant told us: “I’m leaving with a plan, not just fear.” This sentence stayed with us. It shows why this project matters. Young people leaving care are often expected to become independent very quickly, even though many of them have experienced trauma, loneliness, instability, and a lack of consistent adult support. The camp gave them space not only to rest, but also to understand their emotions, talk about their fears, practice practical life skills, and begin imagining the next step in their lives.

Since the camp, we have continued to use what we learned there to plan further support for participants. The camp helped us better understand who may need continued psychological help, who would benefit from mentoring, and who needs more practical preparation for independent living. Selected participants have been connected with longer-term support paths within our foundation’s programs. This is why we see the camp not as a one-time intervention, but as an important first step in a longer process of helping young people build emotional resilience, self-confidence, and real readiness for adult life.

Your support made this possible. You helped fund a safe place, professional therapeutic care, practical workshops, and a week in which young people could feel that someone was truly listening to them. Thank you for believing that young people leaving care deserve not only survival, but also guidance, stability, and a real chance to enter adulthood with more confidence and less fear.

We are grateful for your trust and will continue developing this model so that more young people in Poland can receive the kind of support they need before they are expected to face adult life on their own.