• to let "under 18" people living in difficulties grow, from psychological and emotional points of view, in a family environment;
• to guarantee everything they need for the development of personality, with particular attention to educational and school activity;
• to foster social relationships, especially with their own families;
• before adoption, to get to know the new family;
• to reduce the disadvantage of those who have behaviour difficulties arising from earlychildhood experiences;
• to take care of "under 18" people with serious disabilities.

A.GE.DI. gives the most of its attention to disabled "under 18" people. It has been operating in this field for more than 10 years. Its aims are to help people live more independently, to reduce risk of mortality and to prevent them entering Psychiatric Institutes.

CONTENTS

A.GE.DI.'s "First Family Community" receives "under 18" people with disabilities and gives them a role and a place. The aims are:

• helping families to keep "under 18" people at home;
• finding families in which "under 18" people may live happily, if this is not possible in their own family;
• if necessary, finding experienced Family Communities that can help "under 18" people.

Family Communities, as planned by A.GE.DI., need to meet a small number of important criteria:

• a stable couple to manage the community;
• only one member of the couple may work outside the Family Community;
• no more than four "under 18" people can live in any Family Community.

Family Communities accept "under 18" people of both genders with personal, family and/or social difficulties. People "over 18" with very severe disabilities may live in a Family Community, as established by law(L.n. 162/1998). Admittance to Family Community is authorized by Youth Court or by Town Social Services operators, as prescribed by law.

WORKING AREA

A Family Community must be developed within a regional context. "Under 18" people need to be within reasonable distance of their families and of all the services they require. A very important role is played by Local Council, which acts as a common referee for families and the Family Community.

WHAT'S NEWS?

• To promote a culture of caring and friendship;
• to live together in harmony, understanding and sharing of tasks;
• to apply contemporary social research in child and adolescent well being;
• to promote collaboration among societies, public services and other interested groups.

Volunteers play a very important role in the Family Community. Local volunteers are required to work at least two hours a week. Foreign volunteers from any country live in the Family Community for one year, working six hours a day, six days a week.

First Family Community of A.GE.DI.
Adress: Via Ravagnese-Gallina, Trav. II°, n. 21
89067 Reggio Calabria - Italy
Tel. 0039.0965.641854
Fax 0039.0965.313189
E-mail: comunitafamigliagedi@libero.it

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