Development of foster parent network for the care of foster children

An EU-funded project provided an opportunity for the development of the foster parent network of Szent Ágota Child Protection Services, thereby creating better conditions for foster children.

In Hungary, over the past years, more than 22,000 children have lived temporarily or permanently in children’s homes or with foster parents. Today, a significant portion of children in child protection live not in large-scale institutions but in smaller, loving communities, with foster parents and in children’s homes. Foster parents play a crucial role in care, as they welcome children removed from their families into their own homes. Foster care provides temporary support, aiming for the child’s situation to be resolved, either through reunification with their biological family or placement in a new family through adoption.

Szent Ágota Child Protection Services is one of Hungary’s largest child protection service providers, with an extensive network covering both children’s homes and foster parent networks. It currently cares for over 7,000 young people removed from their families in Baranya, Bács-Kiskun, Békés, Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén, Csongrád-Csanád, Győr-Moson-Sopron, Heves, Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok, Komárom-Esztergom, Nógrád, Pest, Tolna, and Veszprém counties, as well as in the capital.

The project “Development of Foster Parent Network of Szent Ágota Child Protection Services” focused on enhancing the existing infrastructure, professional, and organizational background of the foster parent networks operated by Szent Ágota Child Protection Services.

As part of the project, infrastructural investments were made at the Szent Ágota Child Protection Services facility in Szeged. During the renovation of the building, rooms dedicated to developmental work and liaison rooms were established, aiding both foster parents and professionals participating in the program.

The project also provided an opportunity for the acquisition of new developmental toys, aiding foster parents in the early education of children. It was ensured that these tools would not be treated as disposable items but could be passed on for further use when the requesting family no longer needed them. With this approach, the project not only enhances the quality of care but also encourages responsibility and the adoption of EU principles such as sustainability and environmental awareness among foster parent network members.

Thanks to the project, the foster parent networks of Szent Ágota Child Protection Services now have a more effective toolset, greatly contributing to the physical, emotional, and intellectual development of children within the foster parent network, and promoting the establishment of closer and more confidential relationships. As a result of these developments, the foster parent network can create an even more homely and loving environment for foster children.