We have today launched an urgent appeal to help raise £50,000 in essential funds for Casa Maria in Bucharest. We are very proud of our work at Casa Maria, which provides a safe and comfortable home-like environment for children with severe disabilities and complex needs.

The award-winning home provides safety, stability and love for the most vulnerable children in need. This includes specialist diets, medical assistance and rehabilitation tailored to the individual needs of every unique child.

But we are living in challenging times. We have recently learned that Romanian local authority funding towards Casa Maria will fall short this year, whilst the costs of providing quality care are rising. The escalating cost of living in the UK has also impacted our small charity, with donations falling significantly in recent years.

There is now a growing gap in funding that risks affecting the level of care that we have worked so hard to provide.

We appreciate times are difficult for everyone but we hope our wonderful community of supporters can help once again, as you have many times over the years.

Donations, no matter the size, will all make a real impact on the lives of each child at Casa Maria. As well as providing a warm, secure home, daily care and nutritious meals, your kind generosity can help provide the children with:

• Over 150 physiotherapy sessions each month to help with physical movement and reducing pain.
• Specialist art and animal-assisted therapy sessions.
• Leisure activities for those able to participate.
• independent living skills like cooking lessons and support with learning simple shopping tasks.

If you would like to contribute to this urgent appeal, you can donate online via the link below. We are incredibly grateful for all donations but regular donations really help give our small charity a secure future, helping to ensure we can provide the best quality of care for the children at Casa Maria for years to come.

SUPPORT THE APPEAL

You can also send cheques to: Children in Distress, Blake House, 18 Blake Street, York, YO1 8QG. Please enclose a note to say that your donation is for the Romania Appeal.

A huge heartfelt thank you for your kindness, commitment, and belief in the work we do. The children at Casa Maria continue to thrive because people like you care enough to help.

We will update you about the progress of the appeal here on our website. We also send regular updates to our e-newsletter subscribers. Please sign up here.