Orr Shalom Homes for Special Needs Children

Of the 750 children in the foster program, 200 are "special needs" children who are physically or mentally handicapped, and are under the supervision either of the Department of Rehabilitation or the Department for Care of the Mentally Disabled.  Disabilities include mild to moderate handicap, Downs Syndrome and different physical handicaps.  These 200 children are cared for within 120 foster family homes.

It is extremely complex to recruit foster parents for these special children, and Orr Shalom is constantly seeking families ready to care for them, long before the children are located and referred to us by the Ministry of Welfare.  Potential foster parents undergo training to prepare them for this mission, helping them have realistic expectations for progress and success.  The failure rate is significantly higher among these families who often are unable to fully understand the needs of these children and maintain the higher standard of care they require.  At the same time, those families that do take on this meaningful mission feel a higher sense of satisfaction and receive a huge amount of love from the children for whom they care. 

Orr Shalom's social workers and professional staff build an individual care plan for each child, together with the foster family.  A special social work team has been created explicitly to serve the handicapped, to provide added support and expertise to parents and caregiver staff.  The team meets every two weeks for professional meetings.  They hold support group meetings for parents, both individually and together with other foster parents.  Biological parents are often invited to attend these support sessions.  These meetings are a crucial part of the support system that foster parents rely on to help them cope with the added demands of caring for handicapped children. 

Each social worker is responsible for 25 families caring for approximately 35 children.  In addition to visiting each family once a month, the social worker serves as the liaison between the school, the multiple care-givers, the foster family and the biological family, and is responsible for preparing extensive reports and completing a myriad of administrative tasks for each child, which are submitted monthly to the Ministry of Welfare. 

The physical demand on foster parents is significant when caring for older, larger children with severe physical disabilities that require them to be carried up and down stairs, bathed and fed many times daily. At the same time, these children can be incredibly loving and this is a wonderful reward for their efforts.

To register interest in becoming an Orr Shalom foster parent to a special needs child, please contact Irit Shachar on iritsh@Orr-Shalom.co.il or call our offices on 02 993 6900.

Nadav a bright little boy with an infectious giggle, was born with no arms.  His biological parents refused to take him home from the hospital.  Orr Shalom began looking for a family for him, and located an extraordinary couple who fell in love with him the moment they laid eyes on him, taking him home to their own five children.  Nadav has become an integral part of the family, showered with constant affection and attention. He is growing and thriving, surrounded by his loving foster family and a special counselor who works closely with him.  The counselor, too, was born with shortened arms and sets a wonderful example for Nadav.  

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