Information Center for Parents of Down Syndrome Children to Be Created
By Tea Mariamidze
Wednesday, March 20
Information center for the parents of children with down syndrome will be opened in Tbilisi.
This will be the first information psycho-emotional support center in Georgia that will serve parents of disabled people.
Within the framework of the Open Society Georgia Foundation, the center will function for two years, however, as the head of the Association of Downs Syndrome Lia Tabatadze says, they will do their best to continue this project by the assistance and funding from the local municipalities.
She said that at the center, the interested persons will get comprehensive and competent information about existing services in Georgia.
"We will have a 24-hour service hotline where you will get comprehensive information on any issue. We also plan weekly meetings with parents on Thursdays and Mondays. Training will be conducted if they are needed for further discussing of the accumulated topics,” Tabatadze explained.
She added that the parents of the disabled children should have information about all the state programs and services that are available to their children nowadays.
Tabatadze noted that such information center has never existed in the country before and the Association plans to work with the state in order to get funding from the municipalities in the future.
“Parents of persons with disabilities will be able to contact the center on the hotline from March 19 and the number is 551 46 15 55,” she added.
On December 19, 2011, the General Assembly of the United Nations declared the 21st March as a Down syndrome day in order to raise awareness about the issue. Since 2012 this day is celebrated annually across the globe.
Down syndrome (DS or DNS), also known as trisomy 21, is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of the third copy of chromosome 21. It is typically associated with physical growth delays, mild to moderate intellectual disability, and characteristic facial features.
One out of 800 born children around the world has Down syndrome.
