Last update - 00:00 22/01/2007
Government to invest NIS 200 million to assist at-risk youth
By Ruth Sinai, Haaretz Correspondent
The government unveiled Monday a far-reaching plan to assist 140,000 children and teens threatened by abuse, neglect, and vagrancy.
Almost half of the funds, estimated at NIS 200 million, will be designated to children under the age of six, allowing them to be a part of society.
The remainder of the funds will be funneled towards preventive treatment of the children and their families within the community, instead of being used in outside institutions.
Presently 90 percent of the funds are directed towards treating the results of abuse and neglect, rather than the cause.
The plan, based on recommendations of a committee headed by Professor Hillel Schmid of Hebrew University, was revealed Monday by Prime Minister's Office Director General Raanan Dinur, Deputy Head of the National Council for Domestic Policy Ehud Prawer and other officials from the ministries of welfare and industry, trade, and labor.
According to the Schmid report, there are 330,000 at-risk children living in Israel. During the first two years, only 140,000 children will benefit from the program, one-third of which are from the Arab sector.
After two years, additional children will be added to the program.
The new budget will allow an increase of NIS 1,500 annually for each child under the age of six and NIS 950 for each child between the ages of six and 18.
An additional plan will include 4,000 children under the age of three, and will increase the number of caretakers in shelters and care centers to match new standards recommended by the committee.
Currently, according to the committee, despite the large amounts spent on at-risk children, Arab, ultra-Orthodox, and immigrant children still do not receive the proper care.
"From now on, the services will be more focused and will not require running around between the different offices," said Talal Dolev from the Brookdale institute and a member of the committee.
The program will begin in September, and will encompass up to 60 municipalities. Each municipality will establish a professional board, which will decide on the service given to the local residents, based on their needs.