|
|
INSTITUTIONAL CARE
PAPÁČKOVÁ, Lucie
The aim of this bachelor thesis is to acquaint the reader with institutional care in the Czech Republic, performed in facilities belonging to the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. Institutional care is one of the most important measures in which the State may intervene in family relationships. Minors have the legal right to secure a proper education and overall development. If the parents or family are unable to fulfill this legal claim, then the State is obliged to provide the child with an alternative rearing environment, either by assigning the child to the care of individuals or a facility for children requiring immediate assistance, and in the event of a necessity, also the most important measure: imposing institutional care. Priority is always given to individual care before institutional care, either with another individual, guardian, or foster parent. The Act also defines exactly where it's possible to proceed to extreme measures and impose institutional care. Given the severity of this measure, this decision only appertains to courts. No other governmental or non-governmental institution has such authority. This paper is aimed at introducing institutional care and the protection of children in the Czech Republic, especially highlighting the fragmentation of institutional care. The fundamental part of this paper describes the process of imposing institutional care, and especially its implementation in individual institutional facilities, differentiated according to the children's age, their physical and mental abilities, and the reasons why institutional care was decided on. The priority should always be the child's interest and welfare. This work also highlights the shortcomings of institutional care, particularly the lack of cooperation between the socio-legal protection of children and institutional facilities, the limited cooperation between government departments, the lack of suitable family recovery, and the small number of social workers and judges in the field. Finally, I also mention the achievements that brought about the transformation of institutional care, particularly the conversion to small family type facilities, surrounded by a network of services for the families of allocated children, the children themselves, and also other families who find themselves in a difficult situation. Not all children can be placed in foster care, not all families can be recovered. Especially for some older children and those who have gone through a specific life experience (abuse, repeated return from foster families), an institutional facility is an environment where they feel more secure and where they can fulfill their need to belong in a group of peers. In my work, I also want to draw attention to the current system of child care for children and youth, which does not address the period following the departure of young people from institutional care, although the stage of becoming independent is the most important for their future life.
|
guest ::
