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Description
In this project we are dealing with the protection of children''s rights when their parents separate. In particular, we would like to focus on the conflicts between parents when public institutions are involved in the separation: guardianship courts, professional or social probation officers, social workers, psychologists or pedagogues, court experts, etc. Our aim is to highlight the need to protect the rights and interests of children who are involved in parental conflict. We will present the situation from the child''s perspective, in order to emphasise the need to look after the needs of children and young people, to ensure their safety and to protect them from emotional violence, which is increasingly common in complicated separation cases. The project runs from December 31, 2021 to June 30, 2023. As part of the project, we will be monitoring the cases that are handled by court-appointed family guardians. We will look at cases where the guardian is present during meetings between parents and the child and those in which it is necessary to forcibly remove the child from one of the parent’s custody (or both). We will develop recommendations for the conduct of such procedures, taking into account the perspective of the child. We will organise a conference on this subject. We will conduct supervision and training sessions on children''s rights in situations of parental separation, especially in cases of significant adult conflict. All persons who work with families, children and youth in the Wielkopolska Voivodeship are invited to participate in the planned events.
Summary of project results
The project "Children and human rights. When parents separate..." concerned the protection of children''s rights in situations of parents'' separation. In particular, we looked at situations in which parents are in strong conflict and public institutions are involved in the family''s case: in addition to guardianship courts - professional or social probation officers, social workers, psychologists or educators, experts, etc.
The aim of our activities was to emphasize the need to protect the rights and interests of children who are involved in parental conflict, to show the perspective of the youngest on their parents'' conflict, to take care of the needs of children and young people, to ensure their safety and to protect them against emotional violence, which increasingly appears in complex cases. partings.
During the project implementation:
1. We monitored cases handled by family probation officers: regarding the participation of family probation officers in parent-child meetings (implementation of decisions regarding the regulation of parent-child contacts) and cases in which it is necessary to forcibly remove the child from one or both parents
2. We have developed recommendations regarding the conduct of these procedures, taking into account the perspective of children''s rights when working with families and the proposed changes in applicable regulations. A summary of the monitoring, as well as proposals for changes in regulations or procedures for specialists, are included in the project publication entitled: "Child rights in proceedings involving family guardians. Monitoring report", available to interested readers.
3. We conducted supervisions and training for specialists working with families, which were attended by 24 and 48 people, respectively.
4. We organized a conference summarizing the project entitled "When parents separate... Children''s rights - human rights", in which 199 people participated.
5. We carried out activities supporting the development of our association: we completed the renovation of the headquarters, and members of our team took part in training on working with families in conflict, conducted using the tools of the Betzavta method.
Carrying out the planned activities allowed us to achieve the expected results: 48 people took part in training and 24 people took part in supervisions. 199 people participated in the conference summarizing the project, during which not only were the results of the main activity, i.e. monitoring of compliance with children''s rights in proceedings with the participation of probation officers, presented, but there were also lectures on substantive work with the family in a separation conflict. All activities contributed to deepening cooperation between specialists:
The participation of specialists in the conversation regarding their work, as well as the recommendations formulated regarding the work of family probation officers, contributed to a better understanding of the perspective of this professional group. This knowledge was particularly valuable for family judges, which was emphasized by people present during the conference. At the same time, the specific nature of the work of probation officers in contact cases and in proceedings regarding forced removal of a child, described in detail in the report, has informative value. Monitoring participants emphasized during conversations that there is very little knowledge about the work of probation officers, and the publication provides an opportunity to explain the role and responsibilities of probation officers in difficult family cases - both to other specialists and to parents who will be able to read the report.
Probation officers and social workers who used supervision emphasized their willingness to continue participating in this type of meetings. This was especially important for employees of institutions located outside Poznań, who complained about the lack of support offered at work.
Activity and participation in training allowed us to develop professional competences, learn about the experiences of employees of other aid institutions and - which is particularly important for the further activities of our organization - to see the perspective of a child who experiences the separation of parents and to plan aid activities in such a way as to recognize and take into account the child''s needs.