Voluntary Assistant Service in Families with Handicapped Children as an Illustration on the Czech Republic
Abstract
The voluntary assistance belongs to the area of social assistance. In the social sphere, volunteers are able to cope with a lot of useful work, especially in the direct contact (communication) with a client.
In the paper, we first explain what we understand under the term voluntary work, what are the possibilities of a volunteer in practice. Naturally, this activity has also its limits and obstacles which are presented here as well.
The motifs that play an important role are also explained here. Then, we focus our attention to the activities how the volunteer can help the family with a handicapped child and what obstacles such an assistance may bring.
The relation and communication between the voluntary assistant and his/her clients (parents and a child) is of primary importance here, the creation of a relation, and a good relation between the assistance and his/her client is necessary. We shall describe here potential problems which may appear here because every relation needs to fix certain limits.
In conclusion, we shall mention the results of the research dealing with this topic. The research has revealed that the creation of good and almost friendly relations between assistants and their clients is substantial for their further good collaboration in the process of the assistants' help for ""their"" family.