Description
Foster care has been increasingly viewed as a temporary measure and support to biological families of vulnerable children has been strengthened in the Czech Republic recently, therefore children are more likely to both meet with their families while in care and return to their families – if it is in the best interest of the child. The main objective of this project is to increase the participation of children in making decisions about their placements and their future life. Project’s objectives are in line with Convention on the Rights of the Child, which is not being respected in the Czech Republic in the area of child participation.
Summary of project results
Children, who had to leave their own families and grow up in a foster famillies, have experienced the situation where somebody else fundamentally decides about their life. The project emphasized on the involvement of the children placed in foster care in decision-making,The project strengthened the ability of workers to identify the opinion of the child and support the child in expressing the wishes, thoughts, opinions and needs. Thanks to the project our organization started to place greater emphasis on regular personal contact with the child. It means that workers frequently talk directly with the child and do not receive information about a child only from his foster parents. When planning the meetings affecting the life of the child workers always carefully consider how the child can attend the meeting, and they prefer the possibility that the child can always be active and can be heard at these important meetings. An essential output of the project is the children publication Living in a story written for other children in foster care. There are not enough similar materials in CZ and materials from abroad are not sufficiently authentic. For the equally fundamental however we consider the process of making the book when children themselves with the help of social workers gained the opportunity to grab their experiences and share them with other children and professionals whom the publication is also intended to. In addition to the impact of the project we consider essential that we managed to get the child and his interest in the foreground. Specifically this was done at the final seminar on the project and through the dissemination of publication Life in the story. Social workers who will read the publication will be able better to understand the feelings of child who must leave his own family. Equally valuable is the publication for potential foster parents.
Summary of bilateral results