Description
The vast majority of families experiencing a deep crisis and deprived of parental rights do not receive adequate support from public institutions in Poland. The aim of the project is to improve the cooperation with biological families of children in 16 foster care institutions by making the parents of the children actively involved in the process of getting out of the crisis. 30 persons working directly with children and families will be trained to use the reintegration plan method. Thanks to solutions created during the project, families will acquire competencies and skills that allow to live independently and enable return of the child to the family home. As a result, 257 individual plans will be developed and their implementation will be initiated in cooperation with biological families.A strategy to transform two large foster care institutions into smaller establishments will be also developed and an analysis on the benefits of such transformation prepared. These studies will be disseminated on the website.
Summary of project results
"In the model of work in Children's Homes adopted by the Society, the key principle is a supportive attitude of educators to the families of children, and engaging them in developing and implementing plans that allow for overcoming the crisis and return of the child to his or her family home. The survey of the needs of employees and heads of the establishments led by the organisation in the field of enhancing their competencies showed that they need support in their work with natural parents of children. According to the Act of June 9, 2011, on supporting family and foster care, the care and education establishments should not house at one time more than 14 children. Still, not all existing establishments meet the condition. For several years, the Society has supported the process of transforming big children's homes into smaller institutions, and gathered a lot of experiences in this field. The aim of the project was to improve the quality of the services provided by care and education establishments, and in particular the effectiveness of including natural families of children in actively developing plans to help children to return to their family homes, and to help big institutions in transforming into smaller, better functioning ones. The rules of work in children homes were verified and standardised, 79 workers from 16 establishments enhanced their qualifications, 284 plans for work with children and their families were prepared, as well as two strategies of transforming big care and education institutions into small establishments for foster care. A guidebook was also prepared. A series of three-day workshops was organised (four reunions, 24 hours each) for 30 workers from 16 establishments on the work with the families of children remaining in foster care. Consultations for educators working with families were led (108). Standards of operation for children's homes were developed, as well as evaluation tools and rules for supporting children and their families (two meetings, 9 and 15 participants). In the transformed institutions consultations were led for two heads (in all 26) and for the teams (10 in each institution), and in addition in one of the institutions a two-day training was organised. In the activities participated personnel (about 100 persons) from establishments in Ustka, Słupsk, Mrągowo, Kraków, Wrocław, Przemyśl and Szklarska Poręba, Kijany and Prałkowice."
Summary of bilateral results