Home-Start Lanka is part of an international charity, Home-Start International, that offers a unique service that helps families who are experiencing difficulties in bringing up their children.
At Home-Start, the safety and well being of children is our primary concern and all our work is based on ensuring that children get the help they need during the most important part of their life. We believe that by supporting parents, we can help them give their children the best possible start in life.
Home-Start is an organisation in which trained parent volunteers offer regular support, friendship and practical help to families with young children, primarily in their own homes, helping to prevent family crisis and breakdown. Home-Start began thirty four years ago in the UK and now has over 517 independent schemes in 18 countries all over the world. Each scheme adapts the training and evaluation materials in a way best suited to their local and national circumstances.
History
Six years ago in 2001, whilst on maternity leave, Anthropologist Madu Dissanayake began to help a local Home-Start Scheme in London. She trained as a professional Home-Start Volunteer and after working for a year as a volunteer began a career as the Coordinator for a Home-Start Scheme in London. At that time she thought of her own country and the need for Home-Start in Sri Lanka. Home-Start Lanka was registered in October 2003.
Home-Start Lanka currently has two schemes, one in the Colombo District and one in the Kalutara District (Nimhim, Beruwela). Within the scheme in the Colombo District, there are three satellite schemes covering Colombo Municipal Areas, and another is on the way in Kotte Municipality.
The overall objective of the programme is to build a strong foundation within Sri Lanka for the development of volunteer-based civil society, to help vulnerable families to gain a sustainable livelihood, where parents are capable of facing the challenges to support the needs of their young families. Home-Start supports parents as they grow in confidence, strengthen their relationships with their children and widen their links with the local community which will empower the family as a whole to uplift their social, emotional and financial status.
Vision
Home-Start wants to see a society in which every parent has the support they need to give their children the best possible start in life.
Mission
Home-Start offers a unique service. We recruit and train volunteers who are parents themselves to visit families at home who have at least one child under 5 and offer them informal, friendly and confidential support.
