Education Romania Project #45603

EDUCATE disabled Romanian orphans DENIED EDUCATION

by The Delia Foundation

EDUCATE disabled Romanian orphans DENIED EDUCATION

Project Report | Feb 13, 2026
Education and Awareness in 2026

By Lauren Fishbach | U.S. Board President, Co-Founder Delia's Center

Dear Friends,

January has flown by! Our commitment to a year of change for our children propels us with new hope into 2026. As we look to the months ahead and reflect on what goals are yet to be met, we feel it's time not only for continued education but for more awareness and action. Eight years ago we opened our doors. We are proud of our work and the educational opportunities provided to children who were born with out any opportunities at all. We can see that the children gradually have become more confident in their abilities and themselves. However, outside of our safe haven that is Delia's Center, the world often remains a cold place for our special kids. A child who is eager to learn continues to struggle to be accepted by school administrators who offer little support and no understandng of the daily challenges. Some of our kids can only attend school if a family members stays with them in the classroom. For our children who don't have parents and who are in foster, the road is uphill, often without anyone to be their champion. So what can we do in 2026? More community awareness and advocacy. More work with foster parents and parents to advise them on how to stand up for their special needs kids. Finding more way to demonstrate to the community that having a disability need not be a roadblock and that educating children, according to their needs,is the answer to how to ensure a productive future for all members of society.

We welcome hearing your thoughts and ideas you have on ways to do this. Please open the dialog by writing me at

lauren@deliafoundation.org

As always, we would like to share with you some of our latest photos . We appreciate your support and if we can ask a favor - we are on a mission to increase our monthly donors. It is only through consistent support that we can provide the stable care and services our children require. If you are not already a monthly donor, please consider it. If you can, please share this project with friends and family.

Multumesc fromos!

Lauren

Links:

The Delia Foundation website

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Oct 17, 2025
Together We are Launching into the Future!

By Lauren Fishbach | U.S.Board President

Buna diminieata Friends,

It's been less than a month since I returned from Barlad, along with our CEO, Laura Larkin. As always, I was in a hurry to arrive at Delia's Center and had difficulty leaving when the time came to return to the U.S.

The start of fall is usually bittersweet for me as this time of year children all over the world are back to school. It's a time of great anticipation; we can feel the promise of the future. Yet I know that many of our special kids don't yet have the opportunity to receive a proper education here in northeastern, Romania in the most impoverished region of the country. It might seem the promise of the future isn't for them. But that wouldn't be correct.. the school system may fail them but I am enormously proud of our team's dedication to giving each child the foundation from which they can launch into a better future. I am also enormously grateful for your kindness and generosity. Without you, our kids with autism would not be receiving individualized instruction. They would not have the opportuntiy to learn and participate in activities in art, music and games alongside their peers.

We launched a wonderful project, "Through Their Eyes," while visiting this September. We were inspired by a 15-year old girl with autism, Simina, who is non-verbal. Without words, Simina has no way to communicate her point of view and we had no idea that she was capable of expressing it artistically and emotionally. BUT, Simina borrowed Laura's iphone, showing us that she wanted to take photos. When we saw her photos and videos later, all of our team at Delia's Center for Special Needs Kids were just amazed. Simina had taken self-portraits that gave us insight into how she sees herself - and she showed her sense of humor! Her closeup portrait of another girl captured the essence of that child focusing right into her eyes. This led us to want to launch a project to purchase a few polaroid cameras and put them into the hands of our kids with autism, those ranging in age from 8 - 15. What an amazing concept this turn out to be and very soon most of the kids were clamouring for a turn with the camera, not just those with autism. Creativity and self-expression shined through.

We made a video to share and if you would like to view it, please email me at lauren@deliafoundation.org (GlobalGiving's platform allows for photos but not videos).

Multumesc fromos again for giving our special kids a welcoming environment to learn and grow.

All Best,

Lauren plus Co-Founders David Conway and Laura Larkin

Links:

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Jun 20, 2025
Our Spring Visit ... Special Summer Plans!

By LAUREN FISHBACH | US Board President, Co-Founder Delia's Center

Dear Friends,

What a wonderful time we had with our children and team this spring. Along with our CEO Laura Larkin and one of our Board Members, Kyle Arney, I was thrilled to be with the kids at the end of March into April. There is no greater joy then seeing the children thrive, knowing that over and over again, The Delia Foundation is improving their lives... which means that YOU are improving their lives and giving these special kids a future!

We arrived just in time for our World Autism Day Celebration. Fairy characters joined us for a morning of parachute games, music, dancing, bubbles, and, of course, snacks! There are no word to describe the feeling of watching our kids immerse themselves in the activities, alongside their friends. We have children who are non-verbal and who mostly keep to themselves. But on this special day, I watched them edge next to other kids to reach for the bubbles sailing through the air. One or two even threw their heads back and opened their mouths, determined to pop those bubbles! The photos here tell a little bit of the story through the shine in our kids' eyes!

Our other big news is that our children are about to embark on another new learning experience. Next week, they will be off to adventures in The Black Sea area. Our team's emphasis is on developing independence, team building, and leadership skills. The children will take turns helping to plan the day's activities. We are very fortunate to have this trip sponsored by Ora Kinderhilfe, a German NGO that in 2024 chose us as a Romanian partner. Last summer, they funded our first ever multi-day trip with the children and we went camping in the mountains. It was such an incredible growth experience that our social worker, Carmen, proposed a new trip this year. We will be posting photos and video on Facebook and Instagram so be sure to follow us there!

Instagram: @the_delia_foundation

Facebook: www.facebook.com/deliafoundation

As always, we are grateful to you for your generous support,

Best,

Lauren Fishbach

Links:

http://www.deliafoundation.org

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