There are 41 children in 32 non-kinship foster families and the plan is to increase this number, says the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare.
Among other things, the ministry plans to increase the number of non-kinship foster families through the recently adopted Strategy for the Development of the Social and Child Care System for the period from 2018 to 2022, because it is much lower than the number of kinship foster families. The ministry’s statistics show that 331 children are placed in 231 kinship families.
“We plan to increase the number of non-foster foster families through activities within the Every Child Needs a Family campaign. We will also work on raising public awareness of the importance of being raised in a family for children, as well as the benefits and importance of fostering, as the most desirable alternative form of child protection,” the ministry said.
The law stipulates that the fee for fostering one child is about €300.
The Ministry clarifies that the experts of the social welfare centres also monitor foster families to establish whether they are doing the job properly. According to them, no irregularities have been registered so far.
“Professionals who monitor and support a foster family inform foster parents how to apply appropriate educational methods and not to punish children physically. They also submit periodical reports on the progress of children and the achievement of the purpose of fostering,” the ministry said.
As it explained, the fostering can be provided by a family (a couple or an individual) who is willing and able to provide care, help and living conditions necessary for children’s proper growth and development.
The ministry added that a child shall not be fostered by a family a member of which is stripped of parental rights or convicted of a criminal offense, if a spouse is not eligible to be a foster parent or, if in any way the health of the child would be endangered.
