R.T.PRIME MINISTRY

GENERAL DIRECTORATE OFSOCIAL SERVICES AND CHILD PROTECTION AGENCY

May - 2009

Sefer KOÇDeputy Director General

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Today societies are in a process of rapid change. This change brings along the following:

•Rural to urban migration and emergence of new settlements without basic infrastructure

•High population growth and lack of education-training

•Failure in adapting to new environments/communities

•Inter-generational clashes

•Weakening family and neighbourhood ties

•Dissolution of social values

•Conflict with law and addictions of various kind

These problems affect all sections of society and their particular impact on family unity.

Hence the protection and strengthening of family institution is considered as one of the fundamental responsibilities of the state and guaranteed under the Constitution.

Protective-Preventive Social Services for Families

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As a result of newly emerging social conditions triggered by rapid process of change as well as rapid urbanization and development processes families need various support mechanisms for preparing and adapting to these processes in social, economic and cultural terms.

Community and Family Counselling Centres under the SHÇEK have been phased in to respond to these needs.

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COMMUNITY CENTRES

“Community Centres” are daytime social service units in charge of extending preventive-protective, training-developmental, guidance and rehabilitation services in an easily accessible way in order to enable individuals, groups, families and communities to cope up with problems brought along with rapid social change, urbanization and migration.

80 Community Centres under the SHÇEK have extended services to 98,190 persons as of the end of 2008.

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-Building information and awareness in local communities,

-Making individuals more productive,

-Improving the status of woman within the family and community,

-Informing women in such fields as health, nutrition, child development and training, family planning and home economics,

-Informing women, youth and children about citizenship rights, human and child rights and how to exercise these rights

-Extending guidance services in various areas,

-Developing multi-dimensional areas of interest in socio-cultural terms.

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Services Extended by Community Centres

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FAMILY COUNSELLING CENTRES

These are centres extending protective-preventive, training-developmental and rehabilitative as well as guidance and counselling services to support families in solving their economic, social, cultural and psychological problems.

There are 41 family counselling centres operating under the General Directorate of SHÇEK.

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Services Extended by Family Counselling Centres

Ensuring the welfare, unity and happiness of families by improving and strengthening family life,

Contributing to smooth family relations and strengthening bonds that keep family members together,

Healthy development of the personalities of family members, enhancing the capacity to grow up as independent individuals and ensuring their adaptation to social life,

Striking a balance between freedom, responsibility and social values in family system by improving information and skills regarding child raising.

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Support to the Child while with Family

•The worldwide adopted approach in child protection services especially in recent years is the one that focuses on maintaining family unity.

In countries developed economically, socially and culturally, children in need of protection are given care as placed with families and institutional care is preferred only as a last result when family care seems impossible.

•In Turkey, on the other hand, services to children in need of protection are more oriented to institutional care, which is known to be insufficient in ensuring sound physical, emotional and mental development of children and their socialization.

Thus, there is more weight given to family care in Turkey especially in recent years.

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CHILD SERVICES

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Childcare with familiesSince April 2005, 5,850 children for whom institutional placement

decisions had been given have been returned to their families or relatives through strengthened social assistance and services.

In 2008, 18,081 children who need the services of the agency were supported while with their families without any decision for special protection.

Foster family servicesFoster family services provide care to children who need protection

through their placement with qualified persons or families for short or longer periods either on voluntary or payment basis.

At present 1,103 children are placed with foster families. There is payment for dresses, courses and some other services.

Adoption servicesThis is the establishment of parent-child relationship through legal ties

whereby children are adopted by qualified persons/families. So far 9,895 children have been adopted.

Priorities in Childcare Services

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Home Care Services for the Disabled

Each family having a disabled member in need of care and officially qualified as in economic deprivation is entitled to a monthly support at minimum wage level (477 TL) for the care of the disabled family member.

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TRAINING PROGRAMMES FOR FAMILY MEMBERS IMPLEMENTED IN FAMILY COUNSELLING AND

COMMUNITY CENTRES

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Training Programme on Women’s Human Rights (KİHEP)

Mother and Child Training Programme (AÇEP)

My Family and Effective Parenting (ages 0-6 and 7-19) Training Programmes Age 0-6 Family Training Programme Age 7-19 Family Training Programme

Father Support Training Programme (BADEP)

Programmes for children and adolescents Training Programme in Citizenship and Child Rights Programme for Supporting Early Childhood Development Programmes for Supporting School Performance and Achievement

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Programme for Supporting Early Childhood Development (Equal Opportunities in Preschool Education)

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They are Learning about their Rights and Taking Part in Celebrations Related to Child Rights

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Impact of Family Training Programmes on Mothers

It is observed that participating mothers

Have more confidence in themselvesLearn and find out more about their childrenCommunicate better with their childrenHave their husbands ask more for their opinion Have improved spousal relationsStart to read easier and faster Have improved social relations and act more independently Have improved and more peaceful family life.

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The Training Programme on Women’s Human Rights Builds Self-confidence in Women and Motivates Respect to Women by Their Husbands who Observe this Self-confidence.

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Impact of Family Training on Family Life

It contributes to the development of democratic culture,

It plays a role in avoiding domestic violence,

It helps eliminate circumstances which may make family dissolution inevitable,

It facilitates switch from institutional to family care by ensuring peaceful environment within the family and giving economic support to families in need,

It contributes to the development of problem solving skills of parents,

Ot facilitates families’ access to other social services needed by families without compromising family unity.

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While their Mothers are Informed Children too Take Part in Training

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Conclusion

Since the cost of institutional care is higher than the cost of protective-preventive services geared to maintaining family unity, preventing domestic violence and ensuring the upbringing of children with their families and since expected outcomes could not be obtained through the former, it is the policy of the Agency to give priority and weight to the latter.

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Children to be taken under protection,

Women in need of female guest house,

Children living and/or working in streets.

In case community centres work more effectively, there are decreases in the number of

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In this context, in the delivery of services geared to strengthening and protecting family unity, there is cooperation with other governmental institutions and agencies, local governments, universities and non-governmental organizations.

Cooperation and collaboration are both assigned importance in all efforts and initiatives.

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THANK YOU

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