Charity Foundation for Family Placement «Find a Family»
Federal Remote Foster Family Support Service
CSS contribution, rubles
Total budget, rubles
Implementation period, months
Project idea
The project was designed to address the challenges faced by an orphaned child integrating into a foster family. In this context, assistance with adaptation, socialization, and the provision of psychological and educational support is crucial.
Effective remote support programs can facilitate a smoother adjustment process for both foster children and their parents. This will help reduce the rate of children returning to orphanages, a phenomenon known as secondary orphanhood.
The project will encompass a diverse range of tasks. The program is designed to offer individual consultations with a psychologist, personalized sessions with a defectologist, neuropsychologist, and other specialists.
Foster parents will not be overlooked either. A series of lectures and workshops is organized to enhance parental skills, providing participants with fresh insights into the unique aspects of foster children. Strategies for improving the psychological atmosphere within the family, methods for enhancing resources, and self-help techniques will be explored.
Parents will learn strategies to alleviate anxiety, foster emotional stability, and cultivate safe behaviors.
Additionally, meetings with attorneys are scheduled, along with consultations on engaging with various recreational, educational, and healthcare organizations.
The project aims to provide a training course for family placement workers and offer supervision for a range of professionals.
Relevance
According to the Russian Federation's Ministry of Education, each year 70,000 orphans are placed with foster families. Additionally, each year sees an increase in the placement rate of "difficult" children, including those with disabilities and older children.
During the adaptation process, the overwhelming majority of foster parents encounter a variety of challenges, including the child's behavioral and learning difficulties, a deficiency in fundamental social skills, and health issues.
All of this, of course, does not positively impact the emotional and psychological climate within the family. A significant proportion of foster parents fail to grasp the underlying causes of the challenging behavior exhibited by the child in their care, lack strategies for navigating these difficulties, and are ill-equipped to handle the unique characteristics of the orphaned child.
According to the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation, about 5,000 children return to orphanages every year.
Assistance from qualified psychologists, social workers, lawyers, and other professionals is necessary to balance and stabilize the situation.
Generally, it is not feasible to obtain such assistance from state institutions, such as guardianship authorities and support services, since their primary function is oversight.
To address the situation that has arisen, a long-term, independent, and competent engagement with various specialists is necessary.
The remote support service provided by the “Find a Family” Foundation offers convenience to all families seeking assistance. Residents of remote regions without access to suitable professionals, as well as families who are unable to travel regularly for various reasons—including those with many children or those raising children with disabilities—can utilize this service.
Moreover, Russia continues to grapple with the pressing issue of a shortage of qualified medical and social workers who possess an understanding of the unique needs of orphans and foster families.
The project aims to ensure and enhance access to quality professional assistance for all.
Social effect
Minimizing the incidence of secondary abandonments of orphans across the Russian Federation by providing comprehensive support to guardians and adoptive parents
KPI
KPI
Project Results
Throughout the project implementation period, families from eight districts of the Russian Federation, along with a number of Russian families residing abroad, received remote assistance. The services were provided free of charge. The format of support was found to be effective, pertinent, and convenient for all participants.
The events in highest demand were:
- One-on-one sessions with foster children aimed at alleviating anxiety in light of the events that occurred in 2022.
- Personal consultations with parents to enhance the psychological environment within the family.
- Online support groups to prevent emotional burnout and enhance the resilience of foster parents.
Through the project, moms and dads gained essential knowledge about the unique needs of a foster child and learned how to enhance the psychological and emotional environment within the family. Children and teenagers received high-quality support from specialists, which enhanced their developmental progress and social integration. Thanks to the guidance of legal experts, we were able to safeguard the rights of underprivileged foster families.
During the program's implementation, the return of two children to institutions was successfully prevented.
The project's most significant achievement was the provision of consistent, professional support to foster families across the Russian Federation.
Project progress after CSS funding
Recognizing the significance and scope of the project, we are diligently engaged in securing support from both corporate and individual donors. The project is developing diversified revenue streams to enhance its sustainability.
