The Smile of the Child facility to cease operating as residential home
Smile of the Child
15 Dec 2022
/ 11:25
CORFU. The facility will be turned into a day care centre for children in the North Corfu area.
After 21 years the Smile of the Child facility in Magoulades, North Corfu will cease to operate as a residential home as the building doesn't fulfil the required conditions in the new law regarding social and community establishments.
The President of The Smile of the Child Kostas Yiannopoulos broke the bad news to the children who live there and the employees during his visit to Corfu on Wednesday.
This unique facility, which is not just a home but is set in a wonderful piece of land with animals, olive and other trees, will cease to operate after Christmas and New Year. The 14 children aged 12-18 who live there will be transferred to other homes belonging to the charity.
Threat of closure
The threat of closure had existed for a while as, based on the decision of the Deputy Minister of Employment Domna Michailidou, the facility had to meet the necessary building specifications in order to continue operating.
According to Mr. Yiannopoulos, the building conditions set by the Ministry of Employment could not be met by the Magoulades facility which was built in 1730 and it will now have to operate as a day care centre for children in need in the North Corfu area to provide support for their families.
"The house in Magoulades is licensed and certified until 2024," Mr. Yiannopoulos told Enimerosi. "The facility has been operating successfully and the children living there are happy. The alterations that the Ministry of Employment requires as a condition for its continued operation cannot be carried out on a traditional 1730 building." He added that the home and the children had been taken to their hearts by the locals over the years.
Wave of protests
The decision had caused a wave of protests several months ago with North Corfu Mayor Giorgos Mahimaris expressing his opposition and there was a vote of support from the Municipal Council for the Magoulades facility to continue operating as a home.
Ms. Michailidou visited Corfu last June for the opening of the Central Corfu Day Care Centre and during her visit assured Corfu ND MP Stefanos Gikas and reporters that the new decision "does not aim to close facilities that are doing significant social work. On the contrary, its aim is to take care of important regulations that have been lacking for decades in the specific sector."
At that time Mr. Gikas said the following: "Ms. Michailidou stressed that there will be a transition period of one year for facilities to fulfil the new regulations and the state will assist any children's facilities having difficulty in meeting them.
It should be mentioned that before the Joint Ministerial Decision was published, there were consultations with responsible bodies and 81 bodies in the field of child protection such as the ombudsman and Children's Counsel welcomed the new regulations."
The President of The Smile of the Child Kostas Yiannopoulos broke the bad news to the children who live there and the employees during his visit to Corfu on Wednesday.
This unique facility, which is not just a home but is set in a wonderful piece of land with animals, olive and other trees, will cease to operate after Christmas and New Year. The 14 children aged 12-18 who live there will be transferred to other homes belonging to the charity.
Threat of closure
The threat of closure had existed for a while as, based on the decision of the Deputy Minister of Employment Domna Michailidou, the facility had to meet the necessary building specifications in order to continue operating.
According to Mr. Yiannopoulos, the building conditions set by the Ministry of Employment could not be met by the Magoulades facility which was built in 1730 and it will now have to operate as a day care centre for children in need in the North Corfu area to provide support for their families.
"The house in Magoulades is licensed and certified until 2024," Mr. Yiannopoulos told Enimerosi. "The facility has been operating successfully and the children living there are happy. The alterations that the Ministry of Employment requires as a condition for its continued operation cannot be carried out on a traditional 1730 building." He added that the home and the children had been taken to their hearts by the locals over the years.
Wave of protests
The decision had caused a wave of protests several months ago with North Corfu Mayor Giorgos Mahimaris expressing his opposition and there was a vote of support from the Municipal Council for the Magoulades facility to continue operating as a home.
Ms. Michailidou visited Corfu last June for the opening of the Central Corfu Day Care Centre and during her visit assured Corfu ND MP Stefanos Gikas and reporters that the new decision "does not aim to close facilities that are doing significant social work. On the contrary, its aim is to take care of important regulations that have been lacking for decades in the specific sector."
At that time Mr. Gikas said the following: "Ms. Michailidou stressed that there will be a transition period of one year for facilities to fulfil the new regulations and the state will assist any children's facilities having difficulty in meeting them.
It should be mentioned that before the Joint Ministerial Decision was published, there were consultations with responsible bodies and 81 bodies in the field of child protection such as the ombudsman and Children's Counsel welcomed the new regulations."
