Resilience - Roma children with a parent in prison

In the past months, Romodrom’s work has focused on maintaining relationships with Roma families and community partners while continuing preparations for future child-centred activities in the Liberec region. Even though the Family Day planned for May 2026 has been rescheduled for the upcoming months, children with a parent in prison still need support. 

Projects such as this depend not only on organising the events themselves, but also on strengthening the long-term trust and cooperation that make meaningful participation in the event itself possible. Romodrom has continued conversations with families, local stakeholders and professionals working with children affected by parental imprisonment. These exchanges have reinforced how important safe and culturally sensitive spaces remain for Roma children, many of whom continue to experience exclusion, instability and stigma connected both to social inequalities and family separation.

Rescheduling Family Day also created an opportunity to reflect more deeply on how activities can be organised in ways that are sustainable, inclusive and responsive to families’ realities. Many Roma families face unpredictable economic pressures, housing insecurity and barriers to accessing public services. For children with imprisoned parents, these difficulties are often compounded by emotional stress and social isolation. Maintaining contact with families during periods in between events therefore remains an important part of the project itself.

At the centre of this initiative is the belief that children benefit enormously from opportunities to experience joy, creativity and belonging in supportive community settings. Music, sport and cultural activities are not onlyrecreational, but can also strengthen confidence, encourage self-expression and reinforce positive identity among children who are too often defined by negative stereotypes or difficult circumstances.

Creating dialogue between Roma communities and professionals working within justice and social welfare systems is crucial. Building more understanding and culturally informed approaches takes time and consistency. Even outside of large public events, these connections remain valuable in helping ensure that children with imprisoned parents are supported.

We remain committed to developing future activities that place the wellbeing of Roma children at the centre. We are deeply grateful to everyone who continues to support this work and help create opportunities for Roma children and families to feel supported.