Foster care applications near 320,000

ISTANBUL

The number of foster family applications issued since Feb. 6’s devastating quakes has reached 319,241 as of Feb. 26, the Family and Social Services Ministry has announced.

According to the information received from the ministry, people who want to become foster families for quake survivor children that were left orphaned can apply to the ministry via Türkiye’s e-government website e-Devlet.

Officials also informed that following the initial interview, various documents, such as health and criminal records, are requested from people who wish to continue the process of becoming a foster family.

If all goes well and the documents shared have no errors, officials proceed to the second phase of social evaluation.

In this phase, specialized professionals evaluate applicants’ suitability for foster care by investigating issues such as the personality traits of the applicants, their ability to provide care for a child, family relations, physical conditions of the house, and environmental conditions.

“We place families in the queue if they are deemed suitable and grant the status of a foster family. This process takes about three to six months. During this period, experts evaluate whether the family is determined to foster a child. Thus, we try to prevent the child from returning to the institution after being placed and experiencing another trauma,” the officials said.

Officials closely monitor the children during their time with their foster families each month for the first year and once every three months in the following years.

In addition, monthly payments are made to foster families for the costs of the child’s care at rates determined by the regulation.

The information about the child’s biological family is included in their records, and the foster care service continues until the child’s protection order is lifted.