www.slu.edu.ph/offices/auxilliary/sunflower

The Child and Youth Wellness Centre (CYWC) of Saint Louis University (SLU) envisions itself as a community of socially involved professionals at the service of the welfare of children. With a Christian spirit of commitment, the staff and volunteers pool together their competencies, creativeness and willingness to assist children and their families.

The Centre responds to the need for psychosocial interventions for children in special circumstances (e.g. abused and/or neglected children) and those who need special attention (e.g. children with behavioral or developmental problems). Specifically, it offers psychotherapeutic intervention and psychological assessment as its primary services. Since the Centre was officially inaugurated in March 2003, it has catered to children from different areas of the Cordillera Region and other provinces. The majority of referrals come from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), public and private schools, individual families, doctors and private or non-government agencies or institutions.

CYWC also conducts trainings, seminars and/or workshops to enhance the knowledge and skills of caregivers working with children (i.e. social workers, psychologists, teachers). CYWC however, has never conducted training for houseparents; the caregivers who have the most direct contact with children in special circumstances (i.e. abused and/or neglected children). Through CYWC’s years of working these children, the presence of houseparents in residential or temporary shelters has been very significant. They become the parents who provide the children with their basic needs. Beyond this however, houseparents need to gain a wider perspective in understanding these children.