Description
The project aims to improve situation of children brought up in the system of foster care in the Czech Republic and to enhance the quality of foster care provided to them. The partners of the project, NGOs League of Open Men, Children Belong at Home and Family Center Routa offer in the frames of the project joint workshops for foster fathers and children in foster care; they furthermore include specific education of foster fathers in the system of foster care support. By doing so, they motivate foster fathers to a more active caring role. The project also enhances capacities of organizations supporting foster families, by providing them with analysis of situation and needs of foster fathers and offering them expert counseling.
Summary of project results
Project Fostering foster fathers supported foster fathers in their unique role as male care giver. Czech system of foster care and the education in the system is mainly focused on foster mothers as main care givers. In the history of Czech foster care no one really focused on the role of the foster father in caring for foster kids and their needs. During the realisation of the project there were organised two types of the weekend seminars. One of them was focused on supporting the role and knowledge of foster fathers. Main topics were dealing with special needs of foster kids, working with boundaries and helping foster fathers with work-life balance. The second weekend seminar was focused on supporting the relationship between foster father and foster kid. This goal was achieved by outdoor activities which helped them to get to know each other in different situation and to understand one another more deeply. Another part of the project was research among the foster fathers. The research focused on finding the motivation of man to take part in foster care and on the quality of support the foster fathers are receiving in the foster care system. The outcome of the research was presented in the publication “Foster fathers in Czech Republic”. The representatives of Ministry of labour and social affairs were very interested in the results in the connotation of setting up the support for foster fathers and recruitment man into the foster system. Foster kids thanks to the project could spent weekend together with their foster fathers and had a chance to get to know them better and to deepen the trust towards them. Foster fathers were educated and supported in their role as a care giver.
Summary of bilateral results