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Croatia
Current projects
Project:
Towards Quality Foster Care in Croatia. Project goal(s): Key objectives to be achieved by the project are that: a.The foster parents in Croatia can make use of their own support and service network, continuing to work on the improvement of the quality of foster care in cooperation with all actors in foster care, including social workers and policy makers. b.Foster children and youth can meet, have their opinions heard by their carers and by decision makers. Youth participation is realised in Croatia and the rights of children are respected during and after leaving care. Project results: Result 1: Foster Care Support and Service Network A foster care support and service network is operational, financially viable and has an agreed and recognised role in the field of foster care support, giving a positive contribution to the improvement of the quality of foster care in Croatia. This network will also provide a public awareness campaign that contributes to the positive image of foster parents, children in foster care, and birth parents. In addition: a website, magazine, and an information campaign will be developed, key foster parents will receive training and will be skilled to support other associations and individual foster parents. Joined activities of foster parents, social workers and youth are organised In a working visit: new methodologies and tools are introduced within the Croatian situation within six working conferences, and cooperation from colleagues in The Netherlands creating lasting collaboration between these two countries and the different actors in foster care in Croatia. Result 2: European Quality Standards in foster care create the basis for a child rights approach in the care for youth. Child/ Youth participation are placed on the agenda and after care provisions are initiated and piloted. The results of the Europe-wide project Quality4Children is a compact standard and guidelines document that ensures a child rights approach and attention for all faces in the foster care process, from decision making and admission up to and including aftercare. The project will result in the implementation of these standards in daily practice within foster care and respect the participation of children and youth for decision making about their own life as well as appropriate means of aftercare provisions. Peer support of children and youth realised. The project will result in meetings for children and youth and trained young people to represent their peers in important meetings. A youth in care network in Croatia will be in place at the end of the project with a website and meeting places for young people Activities will a.o. include: * Six working conferences organised for foster parents and social workers; * Working visit to The Netherlands for foster parents and social workers together; * Developing a handbook on foster care.
Project Manager Bep van Sloten
Van Jan 2008
Tot Jan 2011
Partner
The Forum for Quality Foster Care,
network of local foster parents associations of Croatia
initiated by the Associations
Nadomak Sunca, Oprtalj; Oaza, Rovinj; Put ka sreci, Koprivnica
Donor
MATRA Projects Programme, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Netherlands
