On the 4^th of July 1997 the provincial Court in Katowice registered the Christian Association for Helping Children "Mission of Hope" and wrote it down in "A" section nr.1939. This association is going to gather people who, because of Jesus Christ, want to do good and believe that whatever they do for these little (children) they do it for Him.

We want the Association to cooperate with other social and governmental organizations and with all people of good will. We plan to build an outpost in the region of Zaglebie, Poland. Every person who is interested in the work of this association is invited to contact us.

The aim of Christian Association For Helping Children "Mission of Hope" is:

• To organize room for children from poor and pathological families
• To organize meals and educational actions for children from poor families
• To organize winter and summer holidays
• To lead "Houses of A Little Child" and "Family Houses of A Child"
• To help blind, deaf, chronically ill, feebly-minded and mentally deficient children
• To gather people to fulfill good ideas and intentions
• To keep contacts with similar organizations in Poland and in other countries
• To mobilize others for social work in bringing up and protecting children and teenagers
• To organize a child's hot-line
• To promote professional foster care by providing training and information to foster families and those interested in becoming foster families
• To form different kinds of professional foster families, like therapeutic foster families, foster families for teenage mothers as well as therapeutic groups for foster families
• To form Family Foster Homes as well as Foster Family Centers
• To help children return to their natural family situation and provide them with the necessary help in order to solve crisis problem situations.
• To provide medical help to meet the specific needs of children

For many years childcare in Poland has been the major responsibility of various religious groups and national children’s home agencies. Professional counselors who are involved in childcare can have as many as 1600 children under their jurisdiction. It is actually impossible for them to meet the physical, mental and emotional needs of these children.

Over the last few years new organizations, agencies and foundations have begun to help meet this tremendous need. The main objective of many of these groups is to develop a foster care system, which will replace the national home agencies.

Mission of Hope’s major objective is to focus on three main areas of need:

1. The promotion of the idea that the family structure is the most effective environment in which people can meet the needs of a child living in a public institution.
2. Helping children return to their natural family situation and provide the necessary help in order to solve crisis problem situations. This help would take form of family counseling, daycare centers and resocializing camps.
3. Providing medical help to meet the specific needs of children.

We are sure that our work in Poland will pave the way for Christians to influence Eastern European countries. We are ready to be an open door for Christian work among children in need in these countries.

It is our aim to cooperate with already existing Christian mission groups in Poland and in other countries.

In 2002 we managed to open the following centers in Poland:

• Five (5) Foster Family Homes, where 3 families are caring for at least 18 children.
• Two (2) Foster Family Center which houses about 30 families with up to 50 children and provides advice and family support.

We are also planning to develop in Poland a system of intense Therapeutic Foster Care (this is a form of foster care in which children who are severely disturbed in their emotional development are placed in specially selected and prepared foster families).

The national care program is unable to provide the necessary care for so many children (30 thousand in national orphanages). Our children's homes are busier with caring than with curing. In many cases children reached good adaptation for daily life, but those children still have many problems under the surface, which become clear when they have to develop intensive relations. We are deeply convinced that our program, which joins knowledge and deep experience, is able to meet those needs.

We are very grateful for any help you can offer us. If you feel you can assist us in our objectives please contact us at the following addresses: