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| Family Strengthening Programs help at-risk households. |
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Photo: Ms. L. W. Neilsen |
We work directly with families and communities to help them to effectively protect and care for their children, in cooperation with local authorities and in collaboration with other charities on the ground.
Goals:
- The best place for children to grow is within a family
- Care-givers are responsible for the development of their children
- Communities are a direct source of support for children and their families
We help to:
- Ensure that children have access to essential services
- Support families to protect and care for their children
- Strengthen support systems for vulnerable children and their families within the community
Family Strengthening Programmes target disadvantaged families to prevent crises that can in the worst case scenario lead to child abandonment.
SOS offers families support in the short, medium and long-term. They do this in order to not only meet the more immediate needs of families and vulnerable children, but also to support families to become self-sufficient and to reach the long-term goal of the local community having the ability to support vulnerable families without the assistance of SOS Children’s Villages.
To do this work, SOS recognizes that it must work against the devastating effects of child poverty for children who do not have access to family based care. It does this through its medical facilities, educational facilities and emergency relief programs.
SOS also works to ensure that not only are children’s basic needs being met, but that policies and programmes of child protection are upheld. SOS Children’s Villages recognizes that not only do children need food and shelter in order to reach their full potential, but that they also have human rights that must be protected.
Many children in poverty are highly vulnerable to abuse of their rights, and therefore SOS recognizes its fundament duty and responsibility to keep children safe.
SOS works against all forms of child abuse and exploitation, especially harmful child labour, child trafficking, the use of child soldiers, and the particular abuses and lack of rights that affect girls.
The core of the SOS family strengthening programming is the recognition that the family is the best place for a child to develop and to have their rights protected.
For this reason SOS conducts programming to strengthen the family, such as microcredit and vocational training as well as psycho-social programming and counseling.