Henry & Grete Abrahams Day Care Center – Hadera Hillel Yaffe Medical Center

The Henry & Grete Abrahams Day Care Center aspires to create a warm second home for the children, where they are given love and attention. It was mainly used by the medical staff when it was first opened, but today most of the children come from the city of Hadera. The day care center is at the ground floor of the hospital and has 3 different divisions. One is for infants from 3 months to 1.3 years, the second is for toddlers from 1.4 years to 2 years, and the last division is for children from 2.1 years to 2.8 years. In total they take care of 68 children. At the day care they have implemented the “maon veod” program, “day care and more” program, which provides a varied and healthy diet for the children. In addition, the program includes ‘Rhythm-music’ classes, animal circles, developmental assistance, and an educational counseling program for the staff.

Most of the families that use the day care services come from a low socioeconomic status, and many are single parents. As a result, many struggle with paying the monthly paycheck to the day care center. Nonetheless, at Hadera Hillel they emphasize the importance of parents being involved, and parents may come to the day care center at any time to see and observe their child during activities and even receive training from the staff should they wish for it. Parents can also come in for private conversations with the director at their convenience.

“We had a baby who arrived at the day care center who we noticed developed differently than the other children. In a slow, gentle manner, the parents were made aware and recognized that their child had special needs and needed assistance from a rehabilitation day care center. In collaboration with the parents we began medical treatments and today the child has made great advancements.”

At the day care center, they have enrichment activities several times a year as part of the “maon veod’ program. They have also incorporated the ‘child’space method’, which is a comprehensive form of sensory education that supports babies’ development. Most importantly they have started an extensive weaning program in collaboration with parents and under the control and help of a supervisor. Although this is a fairly new project, they are already seeing great results. This contributes to the improvement of the children’s self-esteem and confidence, it saves parents from purchasing diapers, and it facilitates the staff’s work.