We empower children by supporting their families.
The "Empowering Children by Supporting Families" project, implemented under the EU Presidency's Civil Society Support Programme III, aims to improve the process of returning children under protection to their families.
The project aims to bring together all relevant stakeholders to contribute to the reflection of a data-driven and holistic system in policies and practices, and to make the system functional. Carried out in collaboration with the Istanbul Foster Family Association and the Bizim Çocuklar Youth Academy, the project will include capacity-building activities to support advocacy, lobbying, and communication efforts, encouraging the active participation of civil society organizations operating in the field in policy and decision-making processes.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child states that every child has the right to have a family and to live with their family. While more countries today are adopting family-centered models in their childcare approaches, there is always room for improvement in designing the process in a child-centered way.
The process of returning a child, who has been placed under protection for various reasons, to their biological family is a sensitive period requiring planned collaboration between the state, civil society organizations, and experts. Planning the process from a holistic perspective and implementing preventive and protective measures in a timely manner are critical to ensuring the child and family's adjustment.
Prioritizing the family-based child protection approach adopted in Türkiye in recent years, the Koruncuk Foundation transformed its activities accordingly. Between 1992 and 2019, it worked directly with children under its protection, implementing pilot projects to ensure and monitor the children's reintegration into their families. Enriching the knowledge gained from these studies with European Union grant programs, the Koruncuk Foundation continues its work to strengthen Türkiye's reintegration system and develop a support model specific to the country.
You can access our project brochure via the following link.
Project Activities and Outputs
Civil Society Consultations
As part of our project, interviews were conducted with 17 NGOs working in the field of children's rights. Questions were asked about their knowledge of the processes involved in returning children under protection to their biological families, the problems they encountered in the field, and the communication capacities of NGOs working locally.
You can access our meeting summary report via the link below.
# Strong Family Happy Child Communication Campaign – Joint Statement
This is our joint demand and declaration!
As Koruncuk Foundation, in collaboration with NGOs, we have launched a communication campaign within the scope of the "Empowering Children by Supporting Families" Project, expressing our demands for the "return to family" program, implemented by the Ministry of Family and Social Services, to be carried out in a more systematic, healthy, and monitored manner.
The civil society organizations that created and supported the communication campaign are:;
Istanbul Foster Family Association, Couple and Family Therapy Association, Infant Mental Health Association, Our Children Youth Academy, Izmir Foster Family Association, Denizli Foster Family Association, Maraş Foster Family Association, Maya Foundation, Kalben Association, Malatya Association of Those Who Have Left Orphanages, Life Is In You Association, Red Children Association, My Home Association
You can access the shared message that emerged from the focus group meetings and campaign development trainings of the "Empowering Children by Supporting Families" project via the link below.
The "Empowering Children by Supporting Families" Project Has Been Completed.
Our project's closing meeting took place on May 16, 2022, at the Dedeman Hotel in Istanbul, with the participation of representatives from civil society organizations and public institutions.
You can access our project results booklet via the following link.
