Stronger together
Marianne's Early Childhood and Family Center
Field: Disabilities and Health
Requested sum: $12,614
33% of total budget
Location: Kiryat Gat
// About the Organization
The Marianne Center serves as a home for families of children with special needs providing them with information, guidance, support and leisure activities. The center promotes disability awareness.
// Project Description
By mapping out what is necessary for families with special needs, the Marianne Center realized that fathers, siblings and grandparents are also eager to join the project. As a result the Center focused on activities such as support, advocacy, leadership and relief for the entire family. This program offers one-time meetings and a long-term group, parent-child dyadic sessions and workshops as well as fun family activities.
// Project Goals
This is an expansion of the successful ‘Mothers Stronger Together’ initiative. The goal is to create a community for fathers and mothers that helps them navigate the challenges of raising a child with special needs, to strengthen the bonds between them and reinforce their standing in society.
// Target Population
The project is designed for parents of children with special needs and includes joint activities with the children and other family members. The estimation is that approximately 300 people will participate throughout the year.
// Outcomes
In the short term, the purpose is to develop a new support system to help fathers of children with special needs, as well as joint programs for both parents. In the long term, the Marianne Center seeks to establish a parent support group for parents to be able to help one another.
// Project Timeline
The Marianne Center offers one-time events and ongoing sessions, such as weekly meetings, depending on the type of activity. Sports programs or therapeutic support meet once a week. Trips or leisure activities are single-day events on holidays or special occasions.
// Budget Sustainability
Once the Partnership’s funding ends, The Marianne Center will go back to relying primarily on funding from the Municipality of Kiryat Gat. To sustain the program, the Center will need to secure additional funding sources and financial partners.
The Partnership supports the program significantly. Without this funding, the Marianne Center will find it very difficult to operate the full range of services for the families and the scope of activities would have to be significantly scaled back.
// Project establishment status
The program operates in the ‘Mothers Stronger Together’ format, and the intention is to expand the program starting July 2026.