SOS Baby Home Greece

The financial, humanitarian, health and political crises that Greece has experienced over the past twelve years have had a significant impact on the country's social context and a difficult future can be expected. The immediate impact of these turbulent times has led to a profound shake-up of social cohesion.

Families, already under pressure due to social and economic difficulties, are often separated from their children in order to protect them. Babies are also frequently abandoned in maternity clinics.

Greece lacks sufficient and adequate public social care structures. This makes it all the more important to create a system of transitional support for children that promotes the process of deinstitutionalization.

In other words, political Greece has recognized the weaknesses of the social care system and has initiated a process aimed at placing abandoned children in foster families instead of large institutions. SOS Children's Villages can play an active and leading role in this process. With a sense of responsibility and even more humility, the SOS Children's Villages in Greece are making their contribution.

With this program we are taking the following measures:

• Immediate protection of young children who have been victims of abuse and neglect

• Targeted support for children who are placed in institutions

• Targeted preparation and psychosocial support for infants and children for a good transition to a family environment (adoption, foster family or return to the biological family)

• Targeted support in the search, training, matching process and care of foster families

• Support for biological parents if the child is placed in a foster family

• Trauma-oriented therapies and interventions

• Special educational services such as speech therapy, occupational therapy, special learning support for children with disabilities