Hamifal - Educational Children's Homes include four different frameworks based on the educational family model that successfully operate around the country. These frameworks include:

Children’s Homes and Children’s Villages
Family Group Homes
After School Day Care Centers
Home for Homeless Soldiers

Children’s Homes and Children’s Villages of Hamifal - Educational Children's Homes are based on the educational family model. Each Children’s Home/Village includes a number of family units while each family unit includes around 12-11 children aged 4-14 living together with a couple that serve as “parents” counselors. Each units has its separate lodging which include a bedrooms and lavatories for all children, a kitchenette and a dining room. In most cases, 8 such family units are considered a Children’s Home.

Each Home/Village is headed by a manager and accompanied by a therapeutic team (psychologist, social worker, art therapist, special education teachers, enrichment class teachers etc.). Children attend local schools and enrichment classes within the Home or at the local community center.

Teen’s Units
In all of Hamifal’s frameworks there are Teen’s units that enable our children to prolong their stay within our frameworks until the age of 18 when they join the IDF.
These special units allow these young adults to conduct more or less an independent life, monitored and supported by counselors, usually a married couple.
After ninth grade our teenagers move to the Teen’s Unit for a period of three years. In the Teen’s Unit there is a complete separation between boys and girls, and the educational framework is based on the equal rights principle.
These young adults integrate within the high schools nearby, some attend full matriculation studies and others integrate within technological high school in order to earn a professional certificate.
In these groups, many empowerment activities are taking place designed to train our teens for independent functioning as adults. Among the various projects operated in these unique groups: Workshops related to healthy nutrition, safe sex, personal empowerment for girls, “Youth Leading Change”, young leadership, workshops towards army recruit and more.

These children’s integration in Hamifal’s framework and in near-by secular and religious oriented schools prevents their drop out from the educational system and gives them the opportunity to obtain professional help and support and also receive appropriate education to be able to integrate in society, like any other child who grows up with his natural family.

Aside from the regular educational routine maintained in each Home or Village, our children are provided with a variety of social-educational and therapeutic support programs, which include:

Extra Tutorial Lessons – conducted by special education teachers for children with learning gaps.
Art Therapy – Non-verbal therapeutic program for expression through art – mainly for newly absorbed kids, to support their integration.
Animal Therapy – A therapeutic program intended for improvement of the child’s communication with his environment.
Personal Coaching – A varied weekly activity coached by high school or university students from the nearest town or Kibbutz.
Library Programs – A rich library – part of An educational center with special encouraging activities. Open after school hours and includes a wide range of activities for a variety of ages, among these story time, puppet shows, etc.
Enrichment Classes – A variety of activities to enrich the child’s experience of life, conducted by professional teachers at the premises or at local community centers.
Play Center – Includes a variety of games growing in number each year as new games are purchased.
Dancing Groups and Choirs – Music and Dancing groups formed by the Homes children. Meeting weekly and continuously being invited to take part in important events of the local community. Children learn to share and operate as a united team. An additional way to realize the children’s special talents and improve their self-image.
Summer Projects – During summer vacation of each year, Hamifal organizes summer camps for children who cannot return to their families. This camp let the children undergo a positive experience, and also helps them build a healthy personality to become useful members of society.
Student Councils – Children’s councils in the Homes are elected in a democratic procedure. The councils take part in the process of decision making regarding issues concerning the children’s educational activities
For further details – see also Our Projects-

Our Educational Programs.
Our Social & Enrichment Projects
Our Therapeutic programs
Special Needs Projects
Healthcare

Hamifal’s Children’s Homes and Villages:
Afula Ilit Religious Children’s Village
Ashdod Children’s Home “Neve Galim”
Ashkelon Children’s Home “Neve Haroe”
Carmiel Children’s Village
Horfesh Children’s Village
Givat Ada Religious Children’s Home
Haddassim Children’s and Youth Village
Hakfar HaYarok Family Units
Ness Ziona Children’s Home

Unable to receive their emotional, social and physical merit needs, in their biological family frame, many children in Israel today, desperately need an alternative homes.
The number of these children is large and increasing while “Hamifal” – Educational Children’s Homes organization, that for the increasing demand for its services, is unable to respond to all the needy children referred to us by the authorities.
In addition increases the number of new immigrant families, which are unable to coupe with the drastic changes in their lives, thus unable to take care of their children.
The increase in the number of children who need placement outside the home, and the local municipalities wish to establish a community Children's Homes in order to meet the family needs and to allow treatment and rehabilitation of the family as a unit, led Hamifal to establish the Family Group Homes
The Family Units are based on the educational family model with all the central services and amenities as planned. The staff highly qualified professionals and include social workers psychologist and of course the couple who are functioning as foster parents.
The children attend activities such as enrichment courses, extra tutoring, sports and, of course, preparation of homework with the help of the “parents” and other counselors.
The Home establishes close contacts with the community and is open to visitors by community children and parents.
These “Family Group Homes” enable cooperation with the children’s biological families It is also guaranty cooperation with the welfare authorities who know the families’ background.


Hamifal’s Family Group Homes:
Family Group Home – Kibbutz Farod (North)
“Suzanne House” - Family Group Home in Ramat Gan (Center)
Family Group Home in Rishon Le’Tzion (Center)
Family Group Home in Beit Shemesh (Center) Temporary under construction
Family Group Home in Kibbutz Chabbad (Center)
Family Group Home in Kibbutz Sa’ad (South)

Part of the Children’s Villages operate a day care center for children from the local community. These centers take care and children at high risk who live at home, but need an after school day care framework.

The children that attend these centers are extremely neglected, and come from impoverished families without the means or the knowledge to provide them with their basic needs, such as regular meals, bathing, and supervision at home to keep them from roaming the streets. They often experience unstable emotional home life, and are exposed to violence within their families. They also lack other conditions for a normal childhood such as help with their homework, physical exercise, play, and therapy to deal with their emotional problems.

In the After School-Day Care Centers within Hamifal’s Children’s Village, they stay until 7 p.m. in the evening. They receive a hot lunch; have assistance in preparing their homework; have the opportunity to participate in extra-curricular enrichment classes in music, dance, and sports along with the other children in the Village and meet with a social worker or psychologist to help them with their emotional problems as needed. Before returning to their homes in the evening, they receive supper, and take a shower.

Hamifal was enabled to open a home for those homeless soldiers among our graduates, who have joined the army after having completed their studies at the Carmiel Children’s Village
This Home was established thanks to a donor who felt (like us) that such a place would strengthen them emotionally, knowing that they are not alone.
It is exciting to see them when they’re off duty, coming back to the Village – their only Home for the last 10-12 years.

Y & H are two sisters age 19 and 17 ½ who have been absorbed in Carmiel Children’s Village few years ago together with their 2 younger brothers. They have been absorbed as emergency cases in the middle of a school year. The four kids have been referred to us by the department of welfare of one of the local municipalities in Israel, after their father murdered their mother. The father has sentenced to a life prison, however since he is mentally ill, he is hospitalized in a psychiatry institution.
Y. finished high school with a matriculation certificate. last year she joined the Israeli Army, her sister H is about to finish high school this year and in the summer she will be drafted for Army service as well. Y., during her vacations from the army comes to Village, as she see us as her only Home

Y & H are only two examples for other graduates who completed their education within Hamifal’s, joined the Israeli army and see the Village as their Home

We would like to state that such a place for them contribute tremendously to their feeling – not being abandoned again.
More over children who feel that the society cares for them will develop into contributing adults who want to give back to the society.

This year we would like to build another home for our graduates from Ness Tziona Children’s Village and Ashdod Children’s Village, who have no place to come to on their vacations from the army.
The Mayor of the city of Ashdod Dr. Yechiel Lasri is willing to support Hamifal in this project by giving Hamifal a land for that purpose

If you wish to receive more information regarding this project in order to help us in this matter please contact us we will be more than grateful for your support