Orr Shalom

Established in 1980, Orr Shalom cares for 1,400 children who were removed from their biological homes following severe abuse and neglect. Orr Shalom provides each and every child with the material, emotional, and educational interventions necessary to heal and begin to build a brighter future. Our unique system of childcare has garnered national prominence in the field of social welfare, and we continue to pilot and develop critical and unique services and programs. In 2021, Orr Shalom was granted special consultative status in the field of at-risk children to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). This recognition serves as international acknowledgement of Orr Shalom as a leading organization in the provision of treatment and care for children and youth at risk. Orr Shalom stands out in the field for its continuum of close, personalized services and diverse program responses to children and youth at-risk from birth to age 27. Who are the children, teenagers and young people we care for? • Victims of abuse and neglect; about half of whom were removed under a court order • Children orphaned following family trauma, without relatives who can care for them • About 200 children with special needs (physical and/or mental disabilities) • Children from all parts of Israeli society: Jews and Arabs, religious and secular, new immigrants, children of refugees and children of foreign workers • Young adults without family support following out-of-home care How we are unique • Specialization in working with children, youth and young people who have been removed from their homes, with different levels of vulnerability and different needs • Homely and family-like with high and individual visibility • Programs that enable the integration of children, youth and young people in the community • Preservation of identity and belonging to the community of origin, sector and religion • A basket of services and a personal plan for each child, teenager and young adult • Contact, treatment and partnership with the family of origin • High level clinical/psychological support • Integrating siblings in the same framework and focusing on preserving and strengthening the relationship between them • Commitment to creating measurable improvement among children, youth and young people We care for our children in the following flagship programs: • Foster Care Program: Orr Shalom recruits, trains, supervises and supports 600 foster families, who care for almost 800 children, approximately a quarter of whom have special needs. • Therapeutic Group Homes: Orr Shalom operates 18 family-style group homes and 3 post-hospitalization group homes for girls integrated in communities throughout Israel, caring for 220 children, ages 6-18. • Emergency Foster Homes: Orr Shalom manages five Emergency Foster homes, which care for up to 25 babies and toddlers at any given time while a more permanent foster situation is secured. • Beating the Odds Graduate Program: In response to the crisis facing foster children when they age out of the system, we provide teens, ages 16-18, and over 350 graduates, ages 18-27, with practical and emotional assistance as they begin independent adult lives. • Parent-Child Center: 100 children and their families are treated in a parent-child center and in prevention programs in the community. • "Bridge to Independence" Program: 72 young men and women live and are accompanied in 12 subsidized apartments throughout the country. • Safe Haven Therapeutic Camp: Over 90 children spend summer and/or holiday vacations at Safe Haven where they are safe and cared for because it is too dangerous to go home.