Supporting children with physical, developmental and cognitive disabilities. Providing a path forward to orphans with special needs

Delia's Learning Center

Barlad, Romania

Children shine when learning to communicate

with help from our speech therapist 

The journey to change the world starts with one child

Our inspiration is a little girl named Delia, who was born without properly formed limbs. Delia was given up at birth by her parents and is growing up in an institution. We are in awe of her determination. The phrase "I can't" is not in Delia's vocabulary.

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Delia's Learning Center Services

Learning and Social

• Educational Tutoring
  
• Autism Therapy (ABA)
  
• Speech Therapy
  
• Social Interaction and Communication Skills
• Art and Music

Nutrition and  Whole Child Wellness

• Meals for proper nutrition
• Yoga for the Special Needs Child. Breathwork, Sound Healing
• Adapted physical activities
• Support for medical needs
  

Independence

• Pre-Teen/Teen Program
• Life Skills building
  

Community Service

Families in need of emergency food

How You Can  Make a Difference

Sponsor a Child | Donate | Sponsor a Program

Educational Support, Autism Intervention, Nutrition, Speech Therapy, Physical Wellness, and our new Teen Program

Volunteer Your Time

We will be back soon, forming new volunteer trips to learn, to teach and experience the culture of Romania

Share and Support

Help increase awareness and raise funds. Share our work with family, friends and colleagues. We would love to hear your fundraising ideas!

Partners Who Help Us

Transform Lives

Joining Together to Amplify

the Voices of Marginalized Children  

Our Global Leadership Team

United States

Romania

United Kingdom

Our Story

The Delia Foundation, U.S. 501 (c) 3, was formed in 2017 by Laura Larkin with Lauren Fishbach joining as U.S. Board President.

Laura and Lauren met volunteering with Global Volunteers at the Barlad, Romania Children's Hospital. The children they worked with as babies were growing up and did not attend school. They had no opportunity for education or life-changing therapies. The Foundation was started to assist disabled orphaned children, offering opportunities and providing a path forward.

Laura and Lauren were joined by David Conway of the UK in creating Delia's Learning Center to provide services to children who were not attending school because of their disabilities. David Conway has arranged for medical care for children in Vaslui County for 30+ years including bringing UK doctors to repair cleft palates and other congenital defects.  

We opened Delia's Learning Center's doors to children in February 2018!

In December 2020, The Delia Foundation was awarded a United States Medal of Recognition for our work!

• A lifelong avid volunteer, Laura Larkin served as a U.S. Court Appointed Special Advocate for foster children and volunteered at the Barlad, Romania Children's Hospital for 8 years. Laura is a successful entrepreneur at the intersection of health and technology, having co-founded companies in the areas of healthcare and senior assisted living. Previously, Laura had a 20-year career as a Senior Technology specialist with the City of Phoenix, Arizona. Certified as holistic nutritionist and instructor of Yoga for the Special Needs Child, Laura's integrative approach to well-being is essential to our programs at Delia's Learning Center.

• Lauren Fishbach has been a volunteer and advocate for special needs children in Vaslui County, Romania for 14+ years, initially with Global Volunteers at the Tutova Pediatric Clinic and Barlad Children's Hospital. Lauren brings to The Delia Foundation deep experience in organizational planning and staffing, and in corporate marketing and promotion. She is a Career Advisor to young adults and previously was a consultant with leading publishing and information industry companies as Senior Vice President, Bert Davis Executive Search. Earlier, Lauren was a Director of Global Marketing with McGraw-Hill/Standard & Poor's.

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