Poland – Family Strengthening

Around 1.4 million children in Poland live in poverty. Children are often at risk of losing parental care due to unemployment, alcohol abuse, parental health issues, family violence, neglect, and abandonment. There is a lack of governmental support for families at risk, and the number of children in foster care is growing.

The families supported through this programme are experiencing a crisis due to unemployment, disability, serious health problems, parental violence, or addiction. To change their situation, they need to rebuild family stability and recover their own resources. SOS specialists support them in this and help them to become independent again so that they can provide a safe environment for their children.

The families receive financial and material support, as well as direct support to the children for their healthcare, nutritional needs, and education. The SOS specialists include educators, family assistants and psychologists, who work to educate caregivers on parental skills and the needs of their children. Many parents also undergo addiction treatment, which helps to stabilise the family.

Another element of the programme includes educational support, as many of the children experience poor results in school and basic problems with reading and writing. SOS actively works to combat this, raising their educational results to give them a better chance of success in their future.

Overall Goals

• Rebuild parents’ competence in caring for their children by supporting and educating parents to be responsible for their family’s health and well-being.
• Empowerment of children through access to education
• Improve overall performance (emotional, behavioural and cognitive) for children and youth in education, health and social development.
• Prevent the separation of families and avoid foster care for children.
• Help families to become independent and leave the assistance of the SOS family strengthening programme.

Photo: Pexels Pixabay