Autonomous Non-profit Organization «Agency for Social Support of Families and Protection of Family Values «My Family»

Project idea

Family support and accompaniment programs in difficult life circumstances to prevent child abandonment or removal

Project objective: To reduce the risk of family breakdown and to assist individuals in overcoming crises.

The project employs a holistic approach to assess the needs of the family.

Specialists develop an individualized problem-solving plan for each family. They provide essential psychological support, humanitarian or legal assistance, and aid in education or job placement.

The core of the individual family support technology is the mentoring model. Mentorship is provided by resource families who have successfully navigated challenging life circumstances, as well as by trained and qualified specialists.

Systematic work is a prerequisite for successful results. Ultimately, families who have been mentored may transition into the role of resource families, assisting others in fostering healthy relationships on their own.

A video report is scheduled to be filmed at both the start and conclusion of the project to allow individuals to assess the effectiveness of the work undertaken and the changes in interpersonal relationships among their family members.

By objectively evaluating the results of the project, it will be possible to apply this model of support to help people in difficult life situations.

Relevance

According to the analysis presented in the 2019 Report on the State of Children and Families with Children in the Yaroslavl Region (refer to Table 31 at https://www.yarregion.ru/depts/socdem/tmpPages/activities.aspx), there was an increase of 155 in the number of children removed from their parents compared to 2018. Out of these, 410 children were removed from parents who had been stripped of their parental rights, and 223 were taken from parents who had not been deprived of such rights. In 2019, 341 families comprising 732 children were identified and registered as being in difficult life situations, while 323 families with 580 children were recognized as being in socially dangerous situations. The trend persisted into 2020, further complicated by the pandemic situation.

The majority of families facing challenging life circumstances and those in socially precarious situations are concentrated in the city of Yaroslavl.

The "at-risk" group typically comprises families as follows:

• Families with large numbers of children facing financial hardship;
• Families raising children with special health needs;
• Single-parent families, primarily consisting of single mothers.

Typically, social service agencies do not engage with these social units, instead confining their efforts to offering specific material support.

Financial support is undoubtedly essential; however, it is important to recognize that it does not resolve the underlying global issues within the family, but rather alleviates the immediate severity of the situation.

To surmount the crisis and enhance the quality of life, it is essential to offer holistic systemic support, employing a personalized approach and presenting diverse strategies to navigate through the situation.

Social effect

Enhancing parental well-being to reduce child abandonment and removal rates in the Yaroslavl Region.