The COVID-19 pandemic has majorly affected all segments of society from a medical, economic, psychological, and relational standpoint. Social work, and especially that for children, was one of the most requested fields, which had to find quick and efficient solutions for providing services to beneficiaries, simultaneously with the prevention of infection with the coronavirus. The purpose of the present study is to describe the psychological impact of the pandemic, as well as the consequences regarding the effectiveness of the services offered in a day care center for children with disabilities in Pitesti, Arges county. Information, which was collected through the interview method and through studying social documents, allowed us to understand the psycho-social mechanisms more deeply (coping, resilience, etc.) as well as the solutions that were implemented for the center to continue to function normally. The study demonstrated that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was very strong in terms of the physical and mental state as well as the professional activity of the employed staff, and some effects are still present until today. However, the management and employees of the center have also implemented effective solutions to minimize the negative impact of the pandemic and to be able to continue providing services to children with disabilities, safely and with professionalism.
Keywords: children with disabilities, covid-19 pandemic, day care center, psychosocial impact
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