The Estonian Agrenska Foundation is creating a Family Counselling and Rehabilitation Centre. The centre aims at offering programs leading to enhanced quality of life for children with disabilities and their families.

The location of the centre is the Manor of Tammistu, situated 15 km from Tartu in south east Estonia. Renovation and extensions are planned and started.

The founders are the Tartu University, the Foundation Tartu University Clinics, the Estonian Board of Disabled People, Stenströms Skjortfabrik Eesti OÜ, and the Agrenska Foundation (Sweden).

Why is this centre needed?

Having a child with a disability causes stress to the family and influences the quality of life. To support family wellbeing and active coping, it is important that parents develop competence about their child’s disease. Estonia still lacks regularly based family-centered supportive services, where psychological, social, educational and medical aspects all are included.

At the Eesti Agrenska Rehabilitation Centre different programs will be offered in the future; a nationally based family program including individual multidisciplinary assessments, training and habilitation planning, as well as lectures and discussions for parents on medical, psychosocial and educational aspects. The program for the family members is similar to the program at Ågrenska in Sweden. Further education for professionals will also be offered within the family programs. Moreover, the centre will offer regional respite service and summer camps, courses and conferences as well as projects in research and development.